Client Success StoriesKyuramen + TBaar Adds a Unique Flair to the Wichita Dinning Experience

Providing a Nonconventional dining Experience

Lee and her husband, Leo, also own Saporro, a Japanese sushi restaurant in East Wichita. Quinn went to work for the restaurant, eventually becoming a manager. So, when Lee was interested in opening a ramen restaurant, she knew Quinn’s impressive work ethic and that she could make for a great business partner.

Quinn said, “One day Lee was like, do you want to join me in doing this, and I was like why not, it’s a new adventure! It’s my first time owning a business and while I still have a lot to learn, it is very rewarding, and who best to learn from than Lee? Her hard work and ethics just really motivate me to be like her and work hard.”
In 2021, Lee and Quinn visited New York to meet with the Kyuramen franchise owner, try out the menu items, and learn more about the business. As much as they loved the food, they were even more impressed by the unique interior of the restaurant.

Honeycomb-shaped structures and wood booths shaped like sake bottles make for a unique dining experience. Enclosed booths with curtains provide privacy for meetings or intimate date nights, and are reminiscent of a “ramen alley” in a historic Japanese district. Additional seating is available at the ramen bar, where you can watch food being prepared. The interior incorporates traditional Japanese design principles and natural accents with a contemporary approach.

“There’s nothing like this here in Wichita,” said Quinn, “and we wanted to bring to Wichita customers the experience we felt in New York. We wanted to create that ‘wow’ factor.”

There’s also a beautiful “wishing tree” structure centered in the restaurant. Patrons can write their wished on wooden cards to leave their mark. Quinn added, “We want our customers to kind of leave a little something behind at the restaurant and next time they come in they’re like, oh yeah let me look for my wish. The wishes and adorable drawings really bring joy to our day.”

Preparing Flavorful Dishes & Unique Presentations

Kyuramen’s signature ramen dishes are a delicious source of sustenance and comfort. All ramen at Kyuramen restaurants is carefully crafted by ramen masters. The tick, milky white soup bases are fresh and fragrant, and served with a chashu (Japanese-style pork roast), a 7-minute boiled egg, and chopped green onions. The broth is made with 40 lbs. of bone and cooked for 18 hours to get the desired consistency.

Some of the more popular dishes with Wichita patrons are the Yinyang Bowl, the Yakitori Platter (five skewers with chicken, beef, pork belly, baby scallop, and zucchini), Popcorn Chicken, and the Classic Omurice. With the Yinyang bowl, you can try two different types of ramen in one bowl, which appeals to those who may want to try one side spicy and one side not.

Omurice is a unique, fluffy omelet served on a bed of chicken fried rice and topped with choice of curry sauce or demi-glace. The presentation of the dish is an experience in and of itself. When you cut into the top of the outer layer of the omelet, it opens up ad unveils the scrambled eggs inside.

Reaping the Rewards of Hard Work

Running a restaurant may not always be the easiest of work, but both Quinn and Lee find the rewards worth the effort.

“It’s not easy money and you have to work hard but the reward is worth the effort,” said Lee. “I enjoy meeting new people and talking with them and making good friends. I also enjoy learning about people from all over. We have a lot of Air Force customers who enjoy our food and say it’s closest to what they’ve had in Japan.”

Quinn added, “I would say to anyone who wants to start a business or restaurant to just go for it, because the more you ponder on it, the more time you will waste. So, while you have the energy, while you have the time and the passion, just go for it, and it’ll pay off in the end.”