Wichita’s restaurant scene has been hit by many closures lately, but not all of them are bad

It’s big news when a new restaurant opens. But lately, the local restaurant scene has been hit by a sad series of closures. In recent weeks, I’ve reported on the permanent closures of Mr. Miyagi on North Maize Road and the 8-month-old Cadillac Jack’s Steakhouse in Newton. And then there’s R&R Public House, a new pub in the old Lotus Leaf space in Old Town, which just closed after just two months in business. The owner said traffic was just too slow and he plans to reopen his concept once he finds a more visible location.

Another recent restaurant closure is actually a good thing. Wichita’s oldest IHOP, the one on the corner of Maple and Ridge, closed on Sunday. But that’s only because it’s moving to a brand new, larger building directly across the street. The new IHOP will have more space and feature the chain’s latest design. The owners had planned to reopen it by today.

One restaurant that isn’t closing despite the retirement of its longtime owners is the Copper Oven on West 13th Street. The longtime favorite breakfast and lunch spot was purchased by the same couple who recently took over the two Riverside Cafe restaurants in Wichita. They plan to keep everything exactly as it is, with one exception: Soon, they’ll also open on Sundays, when the Copper Oven has been closed.