For a long time, Heroes Sports Bar was the place to be in Wichita’s Old Town district. But the bar changed hands a few times, eventually became a nightclub instead of a sports bar, then closed four years ago. Soon, though, the Hero’s space will get new life. Wichita native Niki Manback said this week that she will open a version of her popular Baldwin City sports bar called Bullpen in the space. She’s planning a family-friendly environment where people gather to watch their favorite teams plan and enjoy burgers, wings and drinks. She’s working on remodeling the space now and says she hopes to have Bullpen open by Feb. 1.
Also this week, a local barbecue restaurant owner who announced last month that he was closing his 2-year-old business had a change of heart. Buddy King said on Facebook a couple of weeks ago that his Barrel Boys BBQ at 13th and McLean had closed for good. Now he says he was feeling overwhelmed at the moment and made the Facebook post in haste. He’s had a short break and has decided that he can reopen the restaurant with abbreviated hours. He’ll serve his famous brisket on Saturdays only through October. Then, in November, he’ll add Sunday hours. Tomorrow will be his first day back.
Finally, a couple of Wichita restaurant owners have recently shared plans to expand their businesses. One is the owner of Naan Stop, an Indian restaurant that opened at 300 N. Greenwich in May. The owner is about to add a second Naan Stop in the space on West Central where Sam’s Southern Eatery most recently operated. The owner hasn’t yet settled on an opening date. And Jack Fukuda, who over the past decade has opened three Japanese restaurants, is about to add a fourth. It will be called Yokohama Beyond and it will focus on Japanese ramen made with chicken. He’s taking over the ground level of a vacant building at 1316 W. Douglas in Delano and hopes to have the restaurant open by late spring.
