🌻 Wichita Weekly (12/12)

Good morning, Wichita!

The antibiotics and steroids seem to have worked for the entire family!

But, a dry cough still lingers. I hope you and your families are staying healthy and whatever virus we have going around hasn’t slowed you all down.

Shoutouts

I hope you are having a great day, George K! And good luck from mom with the new job in January!

Want to share a shoutout? Scroll down to the golden box — all it takes is referring two locals! It helps me grow, too, so thank you!

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ABOUT THE SAME

Weather

Thursday - 12/12 - 52°/ 39° - 🌤️ Mostly Sunny

Friday - 12/13 - 51°/ 34° - 🌦️ Some Drizzle

Saturday - 12/14 - 52°/ 30° - 🌤️ Mostly Sunny

Sunday - 12/15 - 58°/ 42° - 🌥️ Mostly Cloudy

Source: KWCH

CATS, PRETZELS, WICHITA GROWTH

Local News

Wichita’s first cat cafe opens

• “In a cat-tastic and totally paw-some development for fans of the feline, Wichita’s first cat cafe has quietly opened its doors. Noah Souza and Julia Hardenburger’s Snick’s Cat Cafe are now accepting visitors at 8336 E. 21st St., which is in the Shops at Tallgrass. They officially opened their online reservations late Wednesday night and already had 100 bookings by Thursday morning.”

• “The cats, who come from the Wichita Animal Action League, are all available for adoption, and their photos and bios are listed on the cafe’s website. People who decide to adopt a cat from the cafe won’t take it home right away but can get the adoption process started while they’re there.”

• Link: Read more

• AND - See Parent’s Corner Below

East Wichita Auntie Annie’s/Jamba Juice

• I am so excited for this (spoiler… I’m live on the east side… but I grew up on the west side… can we stay friends?💙)

• “On Monday, Dec. 16, Wichita’s second Auntie Anne’s/Jamba Juice restaurant will open to the public at 12938 E. 21st St., on the end of a new strip center just to the east of the HTeaO shop that opened in late 2022.”

• “O’Keefe is planning a ribbon cutting that day for 11 a.m., and after, he’ll open the doors to the public. It’ll technically be a soft-opening, though: All the employees will be brand-new at their jobs, O’Keefe, and he’ll be asking customers for patience.”

• “We just love that the 21st and Greenwich area is growing and expanding,” he said. “We just believe that a lot of the market is going east on 21st toward Andover, and this piece of property bridges the gap between east Wichita and Andover.”

• Link: Read more

Wichita grew a lot between 1984 and 2024

• This isn’t really news — but it was an interesting Reddit post. Click on the link below to see an aerial picture of Wichita in 1984 and 2024

• My favorite quote from the comments: “I remember when Towne West and Towne East meant the west and east side of town.“

• Link: Read more

MAYOR PAY, CHICKEN, PLANES

Business News

Wichita’s mayor tried to turn down a pay raise

• "The Wichita City Council blocks Mayor's refusal of pay increase. The council approved the pay hike with a vote, despite the mayor's attempt to decline the raise. This move is part of a broader trend of increasing salaries for city officials in Wichita."

• “Wu's decision to decline the raise was seen as a gesture of fiscal responsibility, but the council argued that the raises were necessary to keep salaries competitive and to reflect the cost of living adjustments.”

• “I made a promise a year ago that I was not going to take a pay increase,” Wu said. “So I’m just following through with my promise to this community. And so that’s why ... I’m voting not in the affirmative, because this still takes into account the mayor of Wichita getting a pay increase, which then would mean that I lied, and I would not want that to be my record.”

• Link: Read more

Local Wichita fast food chain plans Midwest expansion

• “One of Wichita's fastest-growing companies is ready to take a bigger step in the Midwest and central U.S. Chick N Max, a fast-casual chain based in Wichita, announced Friday that it aims to open up to 50 locations in six states in the next two years.”

• “With 89.5% revenue growth in 2023, Chick N Max ranked No.1 in WBJ's fastest-growing companies list in April. The company has five operating restaurants across Kansas and South Dakota — four in Wichita.”

• Link: Read more

Boeing 737 Max production restarts

• “We've restarted 737 production after weeks of methodical preparation to ensure our teams, parts and factories are ready," the company said. "Our production team loaded fresh 737 Max fuselages into the Renton factory, and teammates who helped prepare the factory are in place to resume production."

• “The seven-week Boeing strike, which ended in early November and involved more than 30,000 machinists, exacerbated financial pressures and operational issues at Boeing and Spirit… Tied to the strike, Spirit furloughed 700 employees involved with the 767 and 777 programs in the fall.”

• Link: Read more

Incentive package approved for downtown project

• “Plans for a new apartment project — targeted toward students and on the doorstep of the Wichita Biomedical Campus — remain on track following a Tuesday City Council vote. Called “, the property will have 42 apartment units and 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. City staff said that construction is set to begin in March and wrap a year later.”

• “Arena South, led by Alan Banta and Bruce Rowley, said incentives would help make the $6.9 million project a reality… With the biomedical campus poised to bring 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff in early 2027, local leaders have regularly emphasized the need for more lower-cost housing options downtown.“

• Link: Read more

MARKET, MYSTERY, BALLET

High-Graded Events

Kansas Global Holiday Market

• “Experience the World at the Kansas Global Holiday Market! Join us on December 14th at Naftzger Park in downtown Wichita for a vibrant, one-day celebration of global cultures. Inspired by European Christmas markets, this free, family-friendly event features holiday traditions from around the world, with diverse performances, activities, and vendors offering delicious foods and unique gifts. Discover the richness of cultural diversity as we bring together communities from across Kansas.”

• When: Dec. 14th, 10am - 8pm

• Where: Naftzger Park, 601 E Douglas Ave.

• Price: Free

• Link: Learn more

The Dinner Detective Comedy Mystery

• “At The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show, you’ll tackle a challenging crime while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware! The criminal is lurking somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as a Prime Suspect before you know it!”

• Note: “Our Wichita, KS murder mystery shows are geared toward adults! Some mild content, loud noises, and adult humor will be present. Teenagers with adult supervision may be permitted“

• When: Dec. 14th - 21st

• Where: Wichita Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hills Dr.

• Price: $60+ (includes dinner) per person

• Link: Learn more

50th Annual - The Nutcracker

• “Join us as we celebrate 50 magical years of bringing the treasured holiday classic, The Nutcracker, to life! Featuring a live symphony that will fill the theatre with the enchanting sounds of Tchaikovsky’s timeless score and a cast of over 100 dancers including the Ballet Wichita Professional Ensemble and Dancers from the Kansas City Ballet.”

• When: Dec. 13th - 15th

• Where: Century II, 225 W. Douglas Ave.

• Price: $27+ per person

• Link: Learn more

Breakfast with Santa on the Farm (Eberly Farm)

• “Enjoy breakfast with Santa on the Farm! Three entry times available! 9am & 10:30am & 12pm! Every attendee will receive a breakfast pastries/donuts, coffee, juice & hot cocoa! Mimosas will be available for purchase at the bar as well as additional concessions!”

• When: Dec. 14th, 9am - 1pm

• Where: Eberly Farm 13111 W 21st St

• Price: $5 per person

• Link: Learn more

CAT CAFE

Parents Corner

So, I love cats — absolutely love them. But, in the standard “I’m from Wichita and thus have allergies” kind of way, I am allergic to them. And have asthma — which isn’t a good combination if you are going to hang out with 12 cats in a cafe.

But — if that is not you and your kids are a bit older (7+) — hanging out with 12 cats is exactly what you can do now that Wichita has a cat cafe! It is called Snicks Cat Cafe, and it just opened at 8336 E. 21st N.

Given I can’t go myself, I wanted to share Wichita by EB’s post on the new cat cafe — the below photo is also his:

The cafe’s website itself has pictures of all cats in the cafe here - and, as a reminder, all the cats are adoptable through a formal process!

The Wichita Eagle also did a video exploring the cafe here.

The child specific rules for the cat lounge portion of the cafe are as follows:

• Minimum Age Requirement:

  • The minimum age to enter the Cat Lounge is 7 years old.​

• Supervision Requirements:

  • Children ages 7 to 13 must have an adult present with them at all times in the Cat Lounge. (with signed waivers for each minor)

  • For guests aged 14 to 17, an adult’s signature is required for entry.

• Special Adoption Meetings: If you are seriously interested in adopting one of our cats, we’re happy to arrange a meet-and-greet for younger children in our adoption room at a scheduled date and time.

• Upcoming Kid-Friendly Events: We plan to host special events for children, such as story time and other supervised activities, to provide younger guests an opportunity to enjoy the lounge experience.

Hours of Operations

• Monday & Tuesday: Closed

• Wednesday - Sunday: 9am - 6pm.

THE WICHITA CASTLE

Wichita History

Few sights in Wichita beg more questions than the towering, feudal-style mansion that stands watch over the Little Arkansas River. Its limestone walls and looming turret call the eye awkwardly, as if it were plucked from old-world Europe and planted haphazardly on the Kansas prairie.

One can easily find oneself asking — How the hell did that get here?

Well, it’s known as the Campbell Castle — or Morris Castle — or Crumm Castle — or The Castle Inn — and this is it's story.

In order to keep these emails from being too long, and because I sent it out earlier this week, I think it is cleaner to link to the article as opposed to copying it all here again. I hope that is convenient!

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Best,

The Wichita Weekly