It’s big news when a new restaurant opens. But lately, the local dining scene has been hit with a sad string of closings. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve reported on the permanent closing of Mr. Miyagi on North Maize Road and the 8-month-old Cadillac Jack’s Steakhouse in Newton. And then there’s R&R Public House, a new pub in the old Lotus Leaf space in Old Town that just closed after only two months in business. The owner said that traffic was just too slow and that he plans to reopen his concept once he finds a more visible spot.
Another recent restaurant closing is actually a good thing. Wichita’s oldest IHOP, the one at Maple and Ridge, closed on Sunday. But that’s only because it’s moving to a brand-new, larger building right across the street. The new IHOP will have more room and feature the chain’s newest design. Its owners planned to have it reopened by today.
One restaurant that isn’t closing even though its long time owners are retiring is Copper Oven on West 13th Street. The longtime breakfast-and-lunch favorite has been purchased by the same couple who recently took over Wichita’s two Riverside Cafe restaurants. They plan to keep everything exactly as is with one exception: Soon, they’ll open on Sundays, when Copper Oven has historically been closed.
