Two Wichita chain restaurants both announce opening dates, both are in the next two weeks
Two long-awaited Wichita restaurants — both chains — have settled on opening dates, and both are in the next two weeks.
One is the new Church’s Chicken near Central and West streets, which franchisee Mo Jizzini first announced in the fall of 2021.
His original plan was to have the restaurant — his fourth Church’s in Wichita — open by the spring of last year, but usual construction and supply chain issues got in his way, he said. He recently finished the restaurant, though, and has chosen Wednesday, April 19, as opening day.
The restaurant, which is in the Plaza West Shopping Center at 503 N. West St., will look different than the ones Jizzini has already built. It will be one of the chain’s new “Blaze” models, which has more brick on the exterior, a flat roof line and a smaller dining room. The focus of the restaurant will be its drive through.
The new Church’s will have the same hours and menus as the others in town, which are at 4780 E. 13th St., 3824 E. Harry and 593 E. Pawnee.
Jizzini said that four Church’s Chicken restaurants are all he feels like Wichita needs at the moment. But the more efficient Blaze design paired with changes the chain may be making to its menu could make it feasible for him to build more restaurants further east or west in Wichita.
Downtown ramen
The other restaurant that’s chosen its Wichita opening date is Jinya Ramen Bar, which has long been under construction inside the Wichita State Tech NICHE building at 124 S. Broadway. Passers-by have noticed over the past several weeks that the restaurants’ William-facing patio has been completed.
The opening date for the restaurant is now set for Monday, April 24.
Jinya is a Los Angeles-based restaurant chain that specializes in slow-simmered broths for its ramen soups as well as small-plate items like dumplings and mini-tacos. It also features a full bar stocked with sake.
The restaurant will celebrate its opening-day festivities starting at 11 a.m. on April 24 with remarks by Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple and Wichita State University Technical Program President Sheree Utash.
Once open, the restaurant’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Kansas’ first Jinya opened in Overland Park earlier this year. See the full menu at jinyaramenbar.com.
