In The News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2002
KANSAS CITY RESTAURANT TRADITION ANNOUNCES
ENTRY INTO WICHITA MARKET
Garozzo's to Serve Up Classic Italian Cuisine
In New Legacy Park at Wilson Estates Location
(Wichita, KS) -- Wichitans will soon enjoy the
taste of one of Kansas City's most popular Italian restaurants
with the entry of Garozzo's Ristorante at Legacy Park - Wilson
Estates, 21st & Webb Road. Plans were announced today by Laham Development and Michael Garozzo,
president and CEO of the fast-growing, family-owned restaurant.
“We love Wichita and we are very excited to be coming here,” said
Garozzo. "This is a great city and Wilson Estates will be an incredible
location for our very first restaurant outside of Kansas City."
Opening in Summer 2003, the new 6,000-sq. ft.
restaurant will overlook a lake with fountains, located just south
of Prairie State Bank on 21st Street. With 75 part-time and full-time
employees, it will offer dining to accommodate up to 300 guests,
including a lakeside covered patio and two banquet rooms with seating
up to 100. Designed in classic Italian Renaissance-style architecture,
Garozzo's exterior will feature a stone and stucco finish with
tile roof in keeping with the architectural style of Wilson Estates.
The restaurant's interior will be highlighted by oak paneling,
faux finish palm plaster and Italian country accents selected by
Garozzo's wife, Maggie.
A lifelong restaurateur, Garozzo started in the
business at the age of 13, working in Italian restaurants in St.
Louis as a busboy, cook and waiter. In 1979, he moved to Kansas
City, opening his first Garozzo's in 1989 at 526 Harrison in Kansas
City. Since that time, he has added three more Kansas City-area
locations in Independence, Overland Park and Lee's Summit. The
restaurants have a loyal following from throughout the Midwest.
According to Garozzo, “We have a large and very avid customer base
here in Wichita. It was that connection that motivated us to choose
this as our first site outside of Kansas City.”
Garozzo's offers a large selection of Italian
and California wines along with an extensive menu of classic Italian
and Tuscany-inspired cuisine. Among their signature dishes are
Chicken Spiedini, medallions of chicken breast marinated and prepared
in Garozzo's special Amogio sauce; Bistecca Modiga, filet medallions
prepared in a white wine, butter and lemon sauce; toasted ravioli
and a Sicilian stuffed artichoke. Gorozzo's also bottles and sells
its own line of sauces including their Sugo, a Sicilian-style tomato
sauce; Diablo sauce; Amogio for Spiedini dishes; and Italian and
Caesar salad dressings. In addition, the restaurant markets its
own private label pasta imported from Naples, Italy.
A project of Laham Development, Legacy Park -
Wilson Estates features 11 buildings with 110,000-sq. ft. of office,
retail and restaurants. Ground was broken in January 2000 on the
19-acre development with the Wichita Clinic building. Legacy Park
has two office sites and one retail site remaining, with announcements
pending on those in the near future. Wilson Estates is a 320-acre
master-planned community including residential, office, The Hilton
Garden Inn and Wichita's premier lifestyle center, Bradley Fair.
Project architect is Stan Shelden of Shelden Architecture
and J.P. Weigands and Sons is exclusive broker for the development.
|
