A restaurant that has become a bit of a destination in tiny Garden Plain is making its way into Wichita soon. Halagains is owned by California transplants Shad and Stephanie Biggs and is known for its sandwiches, burgers and pizza. The couple has just purchased the old Champ’s building at 1106 S. Seneca and will soon open a second Halagains there. Though the Wichita restaurant won’t serve pizza it will have Halagains’ famous tri-tip sandwich, topped with roasted onions and peppers, provolone cheese, bacon, mustard and jalapenos. The Wichita Halagains should be open in the coming weeks.
Another out-of-town favorite also is about to get a Wichita presence. Pizza Shuttle is a Lawrence-based chain that specializes in delivering inexpensive pizza to college students. It also has a restaurant in Manhattan that caters to K-State, and soon, WSU students will get the experience. The owners of Social Tap are bringing Pizza Shuttle to Braeburn Square on WSU’s Innovation Campus near 21st and Oliver. It’s taking over the space next to Jersey Mike’s that was previously home to an electric bike store. Wichita’s Pizza Shuttle will have room for a few diners indoors and will also have a big patio in back. It will use third-party delivery services to start but will eventually add its own delivery operation. Opening day is planned for the end of January.
Finally, there’s good news for fans of Margarita’s Cantina. The longtime Mexican restaurant that had its last day at Douglas and Hillside on New Year’s Eve has found a new home. Owner Jesse Lee has signed a lease to take over the spot in Union Station that was previously occupied by The Kitchen then Express Kitchen. The new building is much smaller than the original, but that’s what Lee likes about it. He decided to leave Margarita’s home of 33 years behind because, after it went up for auction, he realized the space was just too big. He’s working on giving the historic Union Station building more of a colorful cantina feel and hopes to have the restaurant reopened by mid-March.
