English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Wichita, KS

One of the owners of Stroud’s — the fried chicken restaurant that has operated at 3661 N. Hillside since the summer of 1993 — says that its owners had a difficult time deciding to close the restaurant next month.

But the decision, which was announced via social media on Wednesday morning, was inevitable. Prices have just gone up too much lately, said Kevin Allis, the restaurant’s managing partner, and the owners didn’t see any other way.

The lease is set to expire at the end of May, and the ownership group — which also includes Allis and his wife, Rochele Cochrane, plus Bill and Catherine Shea and Doug and Diana Farha — have decided not to renew it.

“We’ve raised prices three times in the last year and a half,” Allis said. “And it’s not just food prices. It’s the cost of occupying the building. We have an older building here, and our insurance went up tremendously.”

For nearly four decades, Stroud’s has served family-style fried chicken dinners and holiday meals to families or big groups celebrating special occasions. Set up in a converted old barn on the edge of town, the rustic restaurant has been one of the few places where parties of 20 could find tables big enough to accommodate everyone.

But that will end next month. Allis said that the restaurant will open for one last Mother’s Day then will close for good. The owners are targeting May 15 as Stroud’s final day.

Since the pandemic, Allis said, nothing’s been the same for the restaurant. Customers’ dining habits have changed, and the only way to have continued serving its menu without raising prices would have been to shrink the portion sizes.

“We’re Stroud’s. We can’t do that,” Allis said. “We serve family-style meals.”

Wichita’s Strouds was licensed by the Stroud’s in Kansas City, where the first Stroud’s opened in 1933 and where two still operate: at 5410 NE Oak Ridge Drive and at 8301 W. 135th St. in Overland Park. Wichita’s restaurant has the same menu and uses the same recipes.

Back in 1993, the restaurant’s Kansas City owners — who’d been getting rave reviews nationwide but were reluctant to franchise or expand — signed their first-ever licensing agreement with Dennis Clifford and Blaze Brigman, both experienced Kansas City restaurateurs.

The duo initially had trouble finding the right spot for the restaurant. Then, a young George Laham, who at the time was working for J.P. Weigand & Sons, showed them a private venue called the Wine Barn. The owners decided it was perfect, and they added 1,800-square-feet onto the back of the barn for the restaurant’s kitchen, where cooks prepared pan-fried chicken, real mashed potatoes., and gravy made with cracklings.

The City of Wichita had to annex the property so that Stroud’s could install a city sewer line, and neighboring business KWCH had to agree to allow an easement on its property for the line to be installed. The restaurant opened on Wednesday, June 30, with 30 full-time and 30-part-time workers, most wearing shirts printed with Stroud’s then-motto “We choke our own chickens.”

The Farhas and Sheas bought the restaurant in 1999, and Allis started there in 2013, he said, eventually becoming a partner.

Allis said he was dealing with feelings of sadness around the decision. In addition to losing his customers, he’ll also be losing long-standing employees, including a cook who’s been with Stroud’s for 25 years.

He said he’d also miss his relationship with Wichita State University Athletics, which is Stroud’s biggest catering customer. The restaurant would frequently provide food for WSU’s Champions Club and its All-American Club and will serve one last meal to the latter on May 2.

“Trust me, I’m very sad. But we had to do it,” Allis said. “We had a 30-some year run, and that’s kind of biblical in restaurant years.”

Until it closes, Stroud’s will keep its usual hours: 4 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

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April 23, 2025 12:20 PM

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April 22, 2025 11:37 AM

This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 2:21 PM.

The booths and heavy drapes are out. The Chipotle-esque bar displaying dozens of fresh ingredients is in.

And today — Wednesday, April 23 — Natasha Gandhi-Rue plans to launch a soft-opening period for her reimagined downtown restaurant at 725 E. Douglas, which is no longer The Kitchen but is now known as Express Kitchen.

Last week, Gandhi-Rue shared the plan she’d come up with to help guard her downtown location against the toll she fears the new paid downtown parking plan will take on the business, which she opened in 2016.

Though she’s leaving her larger, full-service second location of The Kitchen at 3622 N. Oliver as is, she closed the downtown location two and a half weeks ago to change it into a quick-service place where customers decide whether they want a wrap, a salad or a bowl then choose their proteins, veggies and sauces from a display of fresh ingredients displayed at the front counter, where they’ll place their orders.

Though Express Kitchen will still be open to dine-in customers, it’s designed to get people in and out with their meals before they have to pay for a parking space. The city of Wichita plans to implement paid downtown parking in July, though people will be able to park for free for 15 minutes.

Gandhi-Rue and her contractor husband, Scott Rue, say they may want to open more locations of Express Kitchen, but they’ll wait at least nine months so they can see how it catches on with customers.

“If the concept works and works well, then we will replicate this on the west side of town and maybe in Andover,” Scott Rue said.

Express Kitchen’s menu is displayed on digital boards behind the counter (and also is included below). It includes healthier proteins, fresh and grilled veggies and a variety of sauces, spices and salad dressings. Protein choices are grilled chicken, chipotle chicken, seared steak, crab sticks, mojo pork and adobo beef.

Customers can build their own bowls, salads or wraps themselves or choose a suggested combination from the menu board. Among the suggested bowls are several that were on the downtown menu previously, including a Thai Bowl and a Spicy Yum Yum Bowl.

“You can always get our standard favorites that people have been enjoying for the last eight years,” Gandhi-Rue said. “But you can also customize your own bowl. Or you can say, ‘I want a Thai Bowl, but can I add a soy-marinated egg to it? Can I add cucumbers to it?’ So you have the ability to make some good choices. “

Gandhi-Rue said she wanted the new restaurant to focus on artfully-arranged bowls, commonly referred to as Buddha Bowls, because they’ve become one of her personal favorites and have helped her drop weight. When she added them to the menu at The Kitchen, they were a hit.

“I started doing Buddha bowls because I got sick of eating salads here,” she said. “I was trying to lose all this weight, and so I was like, ‘Okay, we’re going to start doing these.’ And everybody just fell in love with it, including me. I eat a different Buddha bowl probably four days of the week.”

The new approach also allows groups of people who don’t like the same kind of cuisine to have options. The focus at Express Kitchen is on Asian and Latin flavors, but Gandhi-Rue said that in the future, she may add ingredients that could be used for Italian, Indian or Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

After customers order and pay at Express Kitchen, they fill their own drinks at a drink station and, if they’re dining in, they pick a seat. Though the booths are gone, the dining room still has lots of tables and chairs, and people also can still choose to sit on the restaurant’s spacious back patio.

The only other major change to the inside of the restaurant is new paint, which now includes a border of bright yellow. The owners still plan to add a few more finishing touches, including artwork and plants.

The downtown restaurant no longer has a full bar, but customers can get beer, hard seltzers and canned cocktails. Food is served in disposable containers.

At a soft-opening event on Monday night, the staff was able to quickly serve customers. In fact, Gandhi-Rue said, it got 60 people through the line in 45 minutes.

She’s still considering Wednesday a soft-opening, Gandhi-Rue said, because staff members are all still learning their jobs.

The Kitchen at 3622 N. Oliver, which Gandhi-Rue opened a year ago, won’t change its approach. It will still operate as a full-service, sit-down restaurant with The Kitchen’s original menu. Gandhi-Rue said she hopes to start offering more nightly specials and to also add brunch to her offerings there.

Kitchen Express is being run by Gandhi-Rue’s stepson, Kristopher Rue. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and its website is xpresskitchen.net

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April 22, 2025 11:37 AM

A spot in Independence was named the best “hole-in-the-wall” restaurant for fried chicken in Kansas, according to one affordability blog.

Down Home Family Restaurant, about a two hour drive from Wichita, gained the title from the blog Cheapism, which focuses on finances, budgeting and saving money.

“Great food can come from almost any kitchen, whether the restaurant is fancy or not. It’s the unassuming spots that often prepare some of the best fried chicken, maybe because fried chicken is an unassuming dish itself,” the March 27 piece reads.

The blog looked at online reviews, as well expert recommendations, to come up with the best “hole-in-the-wall” fried chicken spot in every U.S. state.

Writing about Down Home Family Restaurant, staff writer Lacey Muszynski said the fried chicken was “top notch,” as well as the whole atmosphere.

“Munch on [the fried chicken] at the wooden slat booths after making a run to the enormous salad and dessert bar that includes deviled eggs, pickled beets and sweet dessert salads,” the blog post reads.

According to travel and review site TripAdvisor, the fried chicken menu item runs you $8.99. Other menu items include chicken fried steak, pork chops and hamburgers, as well as breakfast options.

There are also take-home family meals that come with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, hot rolls and a choice of vegetables or slaw. The prices are $25.99 for an eight-piece, $29.99 for a 12-piece and $43.99 for a 24-piece meal.

Review site Yelp shows 13 five-star reviews for the Independence eatery, as well as five four-star reviews and no one-star reviews.

“We love eating here. The menu has a large selection and there’s also a buffet which my fiancé loves. They are ALWAYS VERY FRIENDLY & make sure everything is to our satisfaction,” one Yelp review from March 2024 reads.

“Best of the Best!!! I love this restaurant so much. It is a treat to eat there,” another one from November 2021 read.

The restaurant is located at 1515 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Independence and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Wichita Eagle reached out to the restaurant via Facebook messenger about the ranking and has not heard back.

LS

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a service journalism reporter for the Wichita Eagle. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of Wichita State University’s student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. She graduated from WSU in December 2022 with a degree in journalism.

Maybe Wichita Waterfront visitors just aren’t that into Italian fare.

For the second time in less than months, an Italian restaurant has closed at the Wichita Waterfront, a popular dining and shopping destination at 13th and Webb in Wichita.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, which opened just two years ago in Waterfront Plaza at 1441 N. Webb Road, closed at the end of business Wednesday, said chain spokesperson Lauren Miracle. She also shared a statement from the chain about the closing:

“We appreciate the support of the community and value every member of our Grimaldi’s family, including our guests. This was purely a business decision. We hope our Kansas fans will continue to visit our other locations across the country, including our Overland Park pizzeria,” it read.

In November, the Waterfront also lost Old Spaghetti Factory, which had been open for five years at 1421 Waterfront. Managers of that restaurant said at the time that it hadn’t lived up to financial expectations.

Wichitans who’d tried Grimaldi’s coal-fired brick oven pizzas in other markets were excited when the chain announced in 2023 that it was coming to Wichita. Grimaldi’s also served calzones, salads, appetizers and desserts like cheesecake, cannoli and tiramisu.

Grimald’s predecessor in the building was a Mediterranean chain called Zoe’s Kitchen, which was open from 2017 until the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down in 2020.

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Entertainment

April 15, 2025 11:24 AM

This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM.

Mouse poop falling out of a bag of peanuts, old hot dogs, employees who didn’t wash their hands, food that wasn’t stored or labeled properly, standing water, dirty equipment, dead rodents and more are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.

Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Six restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state rules from April 6-12.

Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 60 other businesses deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.

Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Violations are common. Businesses can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away. But most of the time, they correct issues in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately are serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.

It’s rare, but a business may temporarily shut down over violations. Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.

The list in this story was compiled on April 14 using information available from the state on that date. The list only contains places in Sedgwick County. But you can search food and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

HuHot Mongolian Grill, 2035 N. Rock Road, Suite 119 in Wichita — Four violations on April 8 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include Thai peanut sauce that didn’t cool off quickly enough in refrigeration, standing water in the kitchen, incorrect sanitizer test kit used at a dishwashing machine, no paper towels at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: April 21.

Little Saigon Restaurant, 1015 N. Broadway in Wichita — Twelve violations on April 8 during a routine inspection. Violations include degraded and soiled linens, sliced cabbage and heads of lettuce weren’t kept cold enough, fried rice and milk used in Vietnamese coffee weren’t kept cold enough, no verifiable employee illness policy in place at restaurant, no bodily fluid clean-up plan in place, dirty mixer and meat slicer, no soap at kitchen hand-washing sink, employee touched ready-to-eat lettuce with bare hands, egg rolls and chicken nuggets were stored in containers that are not food grade, rice noodles weren’t kept hot enough, employee didn’t wash hands before putting on gloves, employee washed hands at a sink dedicated to another purpose, egg rolls and other foods were not labeled with their preparation dates. Next inspection: April 18.

Ruben’s Mexican Grill, 915 W. Douglas in Wichita — Three violations on April 11 during a complaint inspection. Violations include salsa that was not kept cold enough, brisket and Spanish rice were not properly cooled, foods throughout the restaurant were not labeled with their preparation or package opening dates. Next inspection: April 21.

Sonic Drive-In, 110 S. West St. in Wichita — Three violations on April 9 during a routine inspection. Violations include water that wasn’t hot enough at a sanitizing sink, old hot dogs, issue with how a mop sink was set up. Next inspection: April 19.

Supermercado Del Pueblo, 2128 N. Broadway in Wichita — Four violations on April 9 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Violations include no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, dozens of mouse droppings and dead mice in and around food and storage areas, dead mice in utility closet containing heating and air conditioning equipment, bulk peanuts bag chewed by mice, mouse droppings falling from peanut bag. Next inspection: June 9.

Taichi Bubble Tea, 2413 N. Maize Road, Unit 101 in Wichita — Seven violations on April 8 during a routine inspection. Violations include employee who touched raw shrimp then bowl for rice without washing hands and changing gloves, rice sat out at room temperature overnight, food probe thermometer not cleaned, foods including chicken and pork soup and mango sauce were not labeled with their preparation dates, restaurant was serving rice that had been sitting outside of temperature control for too long, wiping cloths and bags of food were blocking access to a hand-washing sink, spray bottles of degreaser weren’t labeled. Next inspection: April 18.

If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.

To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.

To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.

Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.

For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.

Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.

The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.