Sophie Bennett
Church's Chicken was a popular fried chicken chain with up to five restaurants in Wichita, Kansas. However, in December 2015, all of the Church's Chicken locations in Wichita abruptly closed down, leaving customers confused and disappointed. After being absent from the market for over a year, Church's Chicken announced its plans to make a comeback in Wichita. Engineer and longtime fan Mike Jizzini led the effort to reopen the chain, starting with the opening of two new locations in 2018 and 2019. With new construction and designs, Jizzini aimed to establish Church's Chicken's dominance among quick-service chains in the area.
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What You'll Learn
- Church's Chicken closed all five of its Wichita restaurants in 2015
- The closures happened suddenly and without explanation
- Mike Jizzini plans to bring Church's Chicken back to Wichita
- Jizzini's first two restaurants opened in 2018 and 2019
- Jizzini plans to open a total of six restaurants in the Wichita area
Church's Chicken closed all five of its Wichita restaurants in 2015
Church's Chicken closed all five of its Wichita restaurants in December 2015. The closures were abrupt and unexpected, leaving customers confused and seeking answers. With locations locked up and phone calls going unanswered, the sudden disappearance of Church's Chicken from Wichita left a noticeable gap in the city's fried chicken scene.
Wichita Eagle reporter Denise Neil recounted the mysterious closure of the Church's Chicken locations in a December 15, 2015, article. She described driving past one of the shuttered restaurants, witnessing confused customers pulling into the lot and peering through the windows. Neil's attempts to contact Church's corporate office and local franchisees went unanswered, leaving the reasons for the closures unclear at the time.
The absence of Church's Chicken in Wichita lasted for over a year, with no immediate plans for a return. However, in 2017, engineer and longtime fan of the brand, Mike Jizzini, announced his intention to revive the chain in the city. Jizzini saw an opportunity not only to reopen Church's Chicken restaurants but also to carry on a family tradition rooted in the restaurant business.
Jizzini entered into a development agreement with Wichita Restaurants LLC, planning to bring six Church's Chicken restaurants back to Wichita. The first of these reopened in November 2018, attracting long lines and big crowds. A second location followed in January 2021, with additional restaurants planned for the future.
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The closures happened suddenly and without explanation
Wichita, Kansas' most populous city, saw the closure of all five of its Church's Chicken restaurants in December 2015. The closures happened suddenly and without explanation.
One weekend, Wichita residents noticed that all of the city's Church's Chicken locations appeared to be closed. Customers pulled into the parking lots, peered through the windows, and drove away. Phone calls went unanswered, and the corporate office provided no immediate explanation. The sudden disappearance of Church's Chicken left customers confused and seeking answers.
Denise Neil, a local journalist who covers restaurants, received messages and saw posts on Facebook about the closures. She drove past one of the locations and found it locked up, with customers pulling into the lot only to drive away disappointed. Neil contacted the corporate office and the local franchisee but received no confirmation of the closures or an explanation for why they happened.
The absence of communication from Church's Chicken fueled speculation and left the community in the dark about the fate of their beloved fried chicken restaurants. It was only later revealed that the closures were final, and the restaurants would not be reopening. The sudden and unexplained nature of the closures added a layer of mystery to the disappearance of Church's Chicken from Wichita's culinary landscape.
The unexpected closure of Church's Chicken in Wichita left a void in the city's fast-food scene and disappointed many loyal customers. However, there is a silver lining to this story, as Church's Chicken has recently announced plans to re-enter the Wichita market, bringing back their popular fried chicken to the community that missed it.
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Mike Jizzini plans to bring Church's Chicken back to Wichita
All five Church's Chicken restaurants in Wichita, Kansas, abruptly closed in December 2015, leaving the city with a lot less fried chicken. However, the fast-food chain is set to make a comeback, thanks to Mike Jizzini, an engineer and longtime fan of Church's Chicken.
Jizzini plans to bring Church's Chicken back to Wichita through a development agreement with his company, Wichita Restaurants LLC. The agreement includes the construction of six new Church's Chicken restaurants in the Wichita market. The first restaurant opened in November 2018 to much fanfare, with the second following in January 2021.
"I believe the market is ripe for Church's re-entry into the Wichita market area," Jizzini said in a press release. "We expect our new restaurant construction, along with growing demand for Church's great chicken experience, to establish our dominance among quick-service chains in this area."
Each of the new Church's Chicken restaurants will be in new buildings, featuring contemporary designs and a drive-thru. The first restaurant features 1,850 square feet of space, with the remaining restaurants potentially offering up to 2,200 square feet.
The return of Church's Chicken to Wichita is part of the company's domestic expansion strategy, aiming to supply its great chicken to passionate new guests. With Jizzini's passion for the brand and the city's previous love for the chain, the comeback is expected to be a successful one.
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Jizzini's first two restaurants opened in 2018 and 2019
All five of Wichita, Kansas' Church's Chicken restaurants closed in December 2015. In 2017, Mike Jizzini, an engineer and longtime fan of Church's Chicken, announced his plans to revive the chain in Wichita. Jizzini's first two Church's Chicken restaurants opened in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The first restaurant, which opened in November 2018, was located at 13th and Oliver and attracted long lines and big crowds. The second restaurant, which opened in January 2019, was located at 3824 E. Harry. Jizzini's goal was not only to reopen Church's Chicken restaurants in Wichita but also to continue a family tradition of being in the restaurant business. He entered into a development agreement with Wichita Restaurants LLC to bring six Church's Chicken restaurants to the Wichita market. Each of the restaurants he planned would be in new buildings, featuring the chain's new STAR Image Design, including new interior seating options and a new exterior design with contemporary lighting.
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Jizzini plans to open a total of six restaurants in the Wichita area
All five Church's Chicken restaurants in Wichita, Kansas, abruptly closed in December 2015, leaving the city with a lot less fried chicken. The sudden closure of the restaurants left several customers confused, with some peering into the locked restaurants and driving away.
However, in 2017, two years after the closures, Church's Chicken announced its comeback to Wichita. The quick-service restaurant chain entered a development agreement with franchisee Wichita Restaurants LLC to bring six Church's Chicken restaurants to the Wichita market. Mike Jizzini, the majority partner with Wichita Restaurants LLC, is an engineer and longtime fan of Church's Chicken. He moved to Wichita seven years ago and has double master's degrees in computer sciences. However, he has always been interested in the restaurant business due to his family history.
Jizzini believes that the Wichita market is ready for Church's Chicken's return and expects his new restaurant construction to establish dominance among quick-service chains in the area. He also sees an opportunity to carry on his family's tradition of owning restaurant businesses.
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Frequently asked questions
All of Wichita's Church's Chicken restaurants closed abruptly in December 2015. There was no explanation given for the sudden closures.
Yes, there were up to five Church's Chicken restaurants in the city.
Engineer and longtime fan of the chain, Mike Jizzini, announced in 2017 that he planned to revive the chain in Wichita. He opened his first restaurant in a new building at 13th and Oliver in November 2018.
Yes, Jizzini opened a second Church's Chicken restaurant in a new building at 3824 E. Harry in January 2021. He plans to open a total of six restaurants in the area.
Yes, Bud E. Rooster's, a fried chicken finger restaurant at 8918 W. 21st St., also closed in December 2015.
