The Belmont, a College Hill favorite, has a new head chef who’s about to shake up the menu
The Belmont — with its throwback feel, retractable garage doors and prime East Douglas location — has been a Wichita favorite since it opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
But during its more than 3.5 years in existence, the restaurant’s menu has remained mostly unchanged.
Now, The Belmont at 3555 E. Douglas is preparing to make some menu changes, inspired by the hiring of a new executive chef.
Jennifer Reifschneider, one of Wichita’s most recognizable chefs, has just taken over the top kitchen job at The Belmont. She started about three weeks ago, and already, she’s making plans to update the popular restaurant’s menu.
“I think people are just eager for something new, something different,” she said.
The management team at the restaurant is now focusing more on dinner. Reifschneider said she plans to cut back on sandwiches at the dinner hour and add three or four entrees. Since she’s been at the restaurant, she’s been experimenting with nightly specials to see what people might like. Recently, she said, she offered a pork chop dish, and it sold out.
“This has always kind of been a place where people say, ‘Let’s go for cocktails and get some bites to eat,’” Reifschneider said. “But we really want to bring people in for dinner.”
She also plans to swap out a couple of appetizers on the menu, but the restaurant’s signature bruschetta will stay. The Belmont, which hasn’t offered nightly dinner specials in the past, will start to, and Reifschneider also wants to elevate the weekend brunch menu.
Reifschneider grew up near Wichita and attended high school in Maize. In 2010, she graduated from Ball State University with a degree in business administration, and then she fulfilled a long-held dream of attending culinary school. She went to The Art Institute of Colorado.
After graduation, she got a job as a line cook at the Kansas Star Casino, and within three years, she’d been promoted to executive chef there. Her next job was executive chef at 6S Steakhouse, and after she left there, she returned to the casino.
But recently, she met Tory DeMarce, the co-owner of The Belmont, and he solicited her opinion about his restaurant, she said. Soon, he offered her a job.
“I’ve been in steak houses for like 13 years,” Reifschneider said. “And I felt that I was at a point professionally that I needed something different. I’ve kind of stagnated a little bit. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and push myself.”
DeMarce said that customers will start noticing menu changes and additions within the month. He also said that people who are interested in trying out creations by the new chef can soon reserve spots at a special multi-course Valentine’s Day dinner with alcohol pairings planned for Feb. 12, a Monday, when the restaurant is normally closed. Reservations will open up soon via the restaurant’s social media pages.
Reifschneider has already brought a new feel to the restaurant, DeMarce said.
“She was highly recommended by all sides of the industry: co-workers, vendors, guests,” he said. “...Also, the longevity that she has had anywhere she’s worked also means a lot to me. She wants to go somewhere to make it great and to make it a great place for her to continue working at.”
