WICHITA — The hot restaurant talk at the end of last year has continued into this year, and that’s that the east-side Sabor Latin Bar & Grille is closing or converting into a new business.
“There were some rumors that we were closing, but right now we’re going to keep it open,” says Sabor district executive chef Jason-Paul Febres.
Febres says the Old Town Sabor had a better reception than the one that opened in late 2008 at the Waterfront.
“Downtown people . . . they’re more open to try Latin food,” Febres says.“They’re more open to new ideas.”
The economy has been a factor, too.
“You go through a bad time with any restaurant,” says Matthew Rumsey, director of operations for Empire Restaurant Management, which owns Uptown Bistro, Oeno and Egg Cetera in addition to Sabor.
“Ours went through a real tough time, I’m not going to lie,” Rumsey says. “I wouldn’t even say Sabor East was the worst out of all of them.”
He says Oeno and Uptown were stable and the others fluctuated.
“It was nothing ever hugely dramatic.”
After a bit of a struggle, Empire finished 2009 profitable.
“We knew if we could make it through that . . . we would maintain with the restaurants that we have,” Rumsey says.
Still, Febres says there have to be changes at Sabor.
He’s going to create a new seasonal menu four times a year.
“I think that will help.”
Also, he’ll throw a party for diners to “just remind them we’re there.”
And Febres thinks that will quell any other rumors.
“They’re going to vanish.”