Article written by Shaheer Naveed at the Wichita Business Journal
Since Grimaldi’s Pizzeria closed its Wichita location Wednesday, Landmark Commercial Real Estate’s Don Piros has received several calls for the now-vacated prime spot at the Waterfront on 13th and Webb.
“It’s local folks that are calling,” Piros said.
The 3,175 square-foot space, with an additional 700 square-foot enclosed patio, at 1441 N Webb Road is in a prime spot in the strip center in front of Whole Foods Market and Plaza Wine & Spirits. While he did not disclose names, Piros said he has received calls from several local groups who have a strong presence and “several different concepts” in Wichita.
However, the spot has struggled to maintain a stable tenant for long.
Grimaldi’s, an Arizona-based restaurant franchise with 46 locations across 12 states, said in an email Monday that its decision to close and leave Wichita was “purely a business decision.”
“We appreciate the support of the community and value every member of our Grimaldi’s family, including our guests,” Grimaldi’s said.
Grimaldi’s opened at the location in 2023 and served an assortment of pizzas, including gluten-free options and calzones.
Piros said he had a conversation with the franchisee about the Wichita location.
“His thought was that they didn’t market the brand, not many people know what Grimaldi’s is,” Piros said. “It wasn’t the rent factor, it definitely was not the location. Grimaldi’s pizza was delicious, and I’ll miss it.”
Before Grimaldi’s, Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain Zoë’s Kitchen occupied the space from 2017 until 2020.
Piros said Wichita’s local Mediterranean restaurants have a strong hold on the market, which made it difficult for a corporate brand like Zoë’s Kitchen to gain traction.
“The local Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine is just much better than a corporate brand, that’s just what it is here,” he said.
Piros said the location will not be difficult to fill.
“There’s over a million square feet of Class A medical office space in this area, over 500,000 square feet of retail or restaurant space,” he said. “We’re going to probably take our time on this one and get the right group, and it’s going to be someone that wants to be here and make an impact.”
While open to anyone, Piros said he would love to see a Shake Shack at the location because “everyone knows and wants the brand here” in Wichita.
Piros plans on presenting the location at the International Council of Shopping Centers convention next month in Las Vegas.
“(I will) try to find something new, something fun here,” he said.
Piros said the local presence in restaurants and retail has continued to grow in Wichita, but he has noticed a lot of businesses leasing existing buildings instead of building new ones.
“The construction costs have just gone through the roof,” he said. “You can have a strip center at 37th and Ridge, you can have one out here, or one at South Seneca or South Broadway, but you’re going to be paying rents that are actually more than the Waterfront because of the cost.”
Overall, while the leasing trend continues, he said restaurant franchisees and retailers should lease existing buildings with some history.
“In my opinion, they need to be looking at centers that are built already, whether second-, third-, or fourth-generation spaces, because that’s where they can get the more affordable rents,” he said.
