A new slate of restaurants will open in Wichita in 2021

The year 2020 was an unsettling and difficult one for the restaurant industry, and Wichita lost many favorite eateries.

But throughout the year, new restaurants continued to open, and entrepreneurs and national chains continued to announce plans to open even more in 2021.

If you’re needing something to look forward to this year — and aren’t we all? — here’s my annual list of restaurants that are scheduled to open in 2021.

Keep in mind that more will pop up as the year progresses, but this list — which includes Mexican food, fried chicken, barbecue and burgers galore — is certainly a good start.

January

Church’s Chicken, 3824 E. Harry: Wichita’s second Church’s Chicken by franchisee Mike Jizzini opens Friday. Another will follow this spring at 593 E. Pawnee.

Tacos tj 664, 1014 N. West St.: This taco restaurant opened a little more than a year ago at 803 N. West St. and has since gained a big following. But the owners are now moving the restaurant from the former Sonic building to a bigger space a few blocks to the north. It should be ready to go by mid-January, owners say.

Los Cunados, 4559 N. Woodlawn: Fernando Aguirre, who owns the Playa Azul restaurant in Augusta, has partnered with his brother-in-law, Hector Onate, and plans to open a new Mexican restaurant in the old Bob & Luigi’s space in Bel Aire. They’re aiming for a late January opening.

Los Cabos Cantina & Grill, 3827 W. 13th St.: A new restaurant set to move into the old Los Compadres Mexican Grill space should be open sometime this month, said owner Chris Martinez. He’s just waiting for inspections and to secure his liquor license. Martinez, who also owns El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant at 1320 E. Central, has closed that restaurant temporarily but said he hopes to reopen it in February.

Slider Shak, 4628 S. Seneca: This restaurant, which will serve mini burgers filled with burger patties, meatloaf, pulled pork and meatballs, should be open by the end of January, though it might stretch into February, said manager Michelle McMillan. It will have a drive-through as well as a few tables inside.

La Jerezana, 2227 N. Arkansas: A new Mexican restaurant is about to open in the building near 21st and Arkansas that served as the longtime home of Taqueria El Paisa but that was most recently occupied by Armando’s Mexican Grill II. Azsucena Ramos, who also owns a restaurant at 1318 S. Santa Fe Ave. in Salina called La Jerezana, said she hopes to have the restaurant open by late January. It will serve authentic Mexican dishes, including grilled steaks, street tacos and menudo. It will also have a full bar.

Applebee’s, 436 S. Andover Road: This Applebee’s restaurant has been closed since May 2019. But late last year, Jon Rolph’s Thrive Restaurant Group bought Jim Stevens’ 22 Applebee’s restaurants, including this one, and now it is reopening it. Opening day is pinned for Jan. 27.

Sunflower Espresso, 500 S. Topeka: Kate Hutchens, who has run her Sunflower Espresso coffee bus since 2014, is opening a small cafe inside the Fireworx Wichita space at 500 S. Topeka. It will have a walk-up window and will be open to the public. She and her business Michelle Barrett say they hope to have it open in January and have pinpointed Kansas Day — Jan. 29 — as their preferred date.

February

Asian Wok, 2929 N. Rock Road: The owners of the just-closed Cafe Asia, Yook and Mike Gan, are opening a new restaurant in the former Rita’s Italian Ice space, next to Five Guys Burgers & Fries. It will serve some Cafe Asia favorites but also will focus on stir fry dishes made in stainless steel woks, fried appetizers, dumplings and other authentic Thai, Malaysian and Chinese dishes. The owners hope to open sometime in February.

El Taquero, 1451 N. Broadway: The owners of the just-closed Lina’s Mexican Restaurant at 4910 E. Central are opening a new restaurant in the former La Chinta space, which has been vacant since the summer of 2019. It will be a fast-food Mexican place that also offers dine-in and a menu of burritos, tacos, all-day breakfast and seafood dishes like shrimp cocktail, ceviche and fried tilapia. It should open early to mid-February.

Local Flavor Grill and Tapworks, 5400 E. Central: Broadway Burgers owner Jeremy Snyder has been working for some time on his big new restaurant, which will feature a bar with 12 taps serving up local craft beer, burgers, barbecue and Mexican fare. He now says he thinks he could have it open sometime in February. The 4,500-square-foot space will feature seating for 96, and he’s planning a patio on the building’s west side. It’s going into the former Gallery 54 Antiques space in a strip center near Central and Edgemoor.

Birria tj 664, 803 N West St.: When they move their Tacos tj 664 restaurant to a bigger space on West Street in January, the owners will keep their original spot and turn it into a restaurant specializing in birria, a meat dish popular in the Mexican state of Jalisco that Tacos tj 664 has become known for. Owners hope to have the new restaurant ready in six weeks, which would put opening day in late February.

April

Church’s Chicken, 593 E. Pawnee: Construction has just started on franchisee Mike Jizzini’s third Church’s Chicken restaurant in Wichita, and it should be ready to open by April or May, he said.

First half of 2021

Albero Bistro, K-96 and Greenwich: Hassan Ballout hasn’t given up on his plans to open a new restaurant at Greenwich Place and now says he hopes to launch it during the first half of 2021. He’s been sitting on the completed restaurant since summer, waiting for the COVID-19 pandemic to subside. When it opens, the restaurant will have many of the same Italian dishes as his Albero Cafe, which he’s operated at 4811 E. Central for the past five years, but it will have more space and the menu will include “more modern” Italian cuisine.

Carlos O’ Kelly’s, 11317 E 13th St North: The Applebee’s at this address will close later this month, and Jon Rolph’s Thrive Restaurant Group will turn it into a big new Carlos O’ Kelly’s restaurant. It will replace the Carlos O’ Kellys at 29th and Rock, which will be converted into an Applebee’s.

Spring 2021

750 Soul, 4601 E. 13th St.: Rhonda Williams closed her Rachel’s Kitchen soul food restaurant at 818 N. Mosley in October 2018, and ever since, she’s been working toward reopening a new place with a new name. Now, she says that her 750 Soul should open sometime this spring in a space on East 13th Street that over the years has been home to places like Miller’s Bar-B-Que, Froggar’s BBQ and, most recently, New Great Wall Chinese restaurant. The restaurant will serve the soul food dishes Williams was known for at Rachel’s Kitchen, including catfish, chicken, collard greens, ham hocks and burgers. But at 750 Soul, Williams is partnering with her daughter, Nicole Williams, who will be injecting the menu with vegan soul food dishes as well.

Alzavino Wine Tavern, 1001 W. Douglas: Ken and Danielle Harmon plan to open their new wine bar, which will feature an innovative self-serve tap system, in late spring in the former Coney Island Hot Weiners space in Delano. The bar will also serve heavy appetizers.

Summer 2021

Torchy’s Tacos, 2901 N. Maize Road: Wichita’s first Torchy’s Tacos opened in September at 21st and Rock. A second one has quickly gone up on North Maize Road and should be ready to open by early spring.

Sometime in 2021

Fatburger/Buffalo Express: This California-based chain announced late last year that it would open three restaurants in Wichita starting in 2021. It hasn’t yet said exactly where or when the restaurants will appear, but they’ll be co-branded eateries that serve both burgers and food from another FAT Brands concept, Buffalo Express, which specializes in chicken wings.

Taco Johns, 7107 W. 37th St. North: This fast-food chain, which already has one Wichita restaurant attached to the Kwik Shop at Kellogg and West, announced plans to expand in Wichita over the next several years, adding four to six freestanding restaurants. Their next move, though, is to open another Kwik Shop-attached restaurant at 7107 W. 37th St. North, which should be ready sometime in late spring or early summer.

Applebee’s, 29th and Rock: When Carlos O’ Kelly’s relocates to 13th and Greenwich early in the year, its old space at 29th and Rock will become home to an Applebee’s restaurant. There’s no firm date for when that restaurant will open, but it should be in late 2021.

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 1380 N. Greenwich: Plans are afoot to open this chain at the Plazzio development in a space near Chicken N Pickle. There’s been no official confirmation from owners or developers, but it’s possible it could appear this year.