Call Center Company in Wichita, KS

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty is acquiring the residential division of J.P. Weigand & Sons, according to an internal memo that local Berkshire Hathaway president Patty Sanders sent to staff on Monday afternoon.

“With this acquisition, we further solidify our position as THE recognized market leader in Kansas, combining two great legacies with a shared commitment to excellence, service, and agent success,” Sanders wrote in the memo obtained by The Eagle.

The local Berkshire Hathaway group will add Weigand’s residential agents in Wichita as well as in offices in McPherson, Hutchinson and Belle Plaine, the memo said.

Neither Sanders nor Weigand President Kevin Dreiling immediately returned calls on Monday afternoon about the sale.

The Eagle also obtained a memo sent to staff by Nestor Weigand III, chairman of the board of J.P. Weigand & Sons. It said that Weigand Residential “will be joining forces and become a part of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty.”

“This marks a new chapter, one filled with opportunity, growth and the strength of a national brand that is deeply respected in the industry,” the memo read.

It said that J.P. Weigand’s commercial division would continue to operate independently under the Weigand name.

Former Weigand President and CEO Nestor Weigand — the founder’s grandson — died in November 2023. He had joined the residential division of the business in 1961.

Nestor Weigand III’s memo thanked staff members for everything they had done for the company.

“My Dad was so very grateful for his shared history with you and he would be so excited for this new union and the story each of you has left to write,” the memo read. “No doubt, he’ll be watching with pride.”

Berkshire Hathaway is a residential real estate leader in Kansas. It has six offices and more than 350 sales people in the state, according to its website.

“This is an incredible milestone for our company and a powerful step forward as we strengthen our brand recognition and continue to grow our market presence with quality agents across our footprint,” Sanders’ memo read.

Weigand, which was established in Wichita in 1902, was considered Wichita’s largest residential and commercial real estate firm a decade ago. It suffered a number of high-profile defections beginning in 2019, when former Weigand vice president and general manager Richelle Knotts left the agency and started ReeceNichols South Central Kansas.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM.

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said they, along with local health departments, continue responding to measles cases in the state. KDHE said there is a possible measles exposure at the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport located at 2277 Eisenhower Airport Pkwy, Wichita, KS 67209.

The risk of exposure is limited to the dates and times below.

From KDHE:

The measles virus can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. Because the measles virus is highly contagious, anyone who was inside Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport on the evening of May 2 may have been exposed to measles and should take the following steps:

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus. It spreads easily when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs. People who are not vaccinated or lack immunity are especially at risk of becoming infected. Symptoms of measles typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a skin rash develops and usually starts on the face and spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms and legs.

The best way to prevent measles is to get the MMR vaccine. If you have had measles or have been vaccinated, your risk of contracting the disease is very low. However, a few people (about three out of 100) can still get measles even after two MMR vaccine doses if they are near someone who is sick.

For questions, contact the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline by phone at 877-427-7317 (option 5) or by email at kdhe.epihotline@ks.gov.

For more information about measles, how to find your vaccine records, and answers to common questions, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Measles Resource Hub at www.kdhe.ks.gov/measles.

Copyright 2025 WIBW. All rights reserved.

Old and moldy meat and ribs, dirty and greasy equipment, roaches around a school kitchen and cafeteria, hovering flies, bugs in alcohol, a lack of plans for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea incidents, unwrapped candy, employees who didn’t wash their hands, spoiled strawberries and more are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.

Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Fourteen restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from April 20-26.

Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 60 other businesses deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.

Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Establishments can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away.

Violations are common. Most of the time, businesses correct issues in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately are serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.

It’s rare, but a business may temporarily shut down over violations. Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.

The list in this story was compiled on May 1 using information available from the state on that date. It only contains places in Sedgwick County. But you can search food and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

Search the database

To see all businesses in The Eagle’s database, simply hit “Search.” You can also search inspections by business name, address, date or violation using keywords like “roach” or “mold.” The most recent appears first. One year of data is available.

Name:

Address:

Violation:

Inspection date:

Only show businesses that threw out food:

Only show hotels/motels that closed rooms:

Only show businesses that shut down over violations:

Carniceria El Guero No. 2, 4900 E. Lincoln in Wichita — Six violations on April 25 during a routine inspection. Violations include no food probe thermometer, employee handling dirty dishes then clean dishes without washing hands, employee washed hands in a sink dedicated to another use, improper labeling of cheesecakes and flan, flies hovering around the piñatas in front of an enclosed meat cooler, no written plan for cleaning up vomiting or diarrhea incidents. Next inspection: May 5.

Donut Palace, 1235 N. Broadway in Wichita — Four violations on April 21 during a routine inspection. Violations include cut tomato and dairy whip cream without date markings, frosting and bread in non-food grade containers, no written plan for cleaning up vomiting or diarrhea incidents. Next inspection: May 1.

Five Below, 2764 N. Maize Road, Suite 100 in Wichita — Two violations on April 21 during a routine inspection. Violations include unwrapped candy suckers, no hot water at restroom hand-washing sinks. Next inspection: May 1.

Franklin Elementary School, 214 S. Elizabeth in Wichita — One violation on April 25 during a routine inspection. Throughout the kitchen and cafeteria there were both live and dead roaches including on sticky traps and surrounding dirty trash bins. Next inspection: May 5.

The Hive Sports Bar & Grill, 231 E. Main in Valley Center — Six violations on April 24 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include dirty and greasy food probe thermometer, outdated olives and turkey breast, dirty can opener, restaurant was using ant & roach spray that is not approved for use in food establishments, raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat sauces, hand-washing sink at bar had a basket of ice and a lime wedge in it. Next inspection: May 4.

Jimmy’s Egg, 3801 N. Ridge Road in Wichita — Five violations on April 23 during the restaurant’s first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include employee not washing hands between handling sanitizer and food, cooked potatoes and chorizo weren’t kept cold enough, food probe thermometer was greasy and not stored properly, cooked potatoes and chorizo did not cool to the required temperature within the required time frame, dirty dishes were stored as clean. Next inspection: May 3.

Jumbo’s Beef & Brew, 3750 N. Woodlawn, Suite 102 in Wichita — Seven violations on April 22 during a routine inspection. Violations include no written plan for cleaning up vomiting and diarrhea incidents, employee not washing hands after handling their phone, several types of cheese and other dairy products including cream cheese stuffed peppers and sauce with butter weren’t kept cold enough, spray bottle of sanitizer had its nozzle facing disposable cups, old salad dressings and chili, old pastrami and pepper jack cheese, bottle of sanitizer wasn’t labeled, water at bathroom hand-washing sinks didn’t get hot enough. Next inspection: May 2.

LMD, LLC (same address as J’s Diner), 4834 E. Lincoln in Wichita — Eight violations on April 24 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include no paper towels at bathroom sinks, gallon of milk wasn’t labeled with its opening date, unlabeled spray bottles of cleaner and bleach water, two aluminum pans of ribs had mold and spores directly on the food, four pans of ribs weren’t kept cold enough, no food probe thermometer for cold foods, chemical bottles were sitting on and beside cutting boards used to prepare food, chili with beans and macaroni-and-cheese weren’t labeled with their preparation dates. Next inspection: May 4.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 2641 N. Maize Road in Wichita — Five violations on April 22 during a routine inspection. Violations include prepared salads that weren’t kept cold enough, metal pans stored as clean were soiled with food residue, fruit flies around sink drain at the bar, fruit fly in a bottle of Chivas scotch, no test strips for Quaternary ammonium sanitizer. Next inspection: May 2.

Pizza Hut, 1708 E. Pawnee in Wichita — Three violations on April 24 during a complaint inspection. Violations include pizza-making ingredients that weren’t kept cold enough, “very noticeable” build-up of food and grease debris on surfaces that touch food, dirty conditions on high-touch areas including too much grease and dust. Next inspection: May 6.

Sedgwick Plaza, 2455 N. Woodlawn in Wichita — Three violations on April 21 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include moldy strawberries, old pork roast, no paper towels at a hand-washing sink. Next inspection: June 21.

Sim Park Golf Course, 2020 W. Murdock in Wichita — Two violations on April 21 during a routine inspection. Violations include cooked burger patties and sauteed onions and peppers that weren’t labeled with their preparation dates, sanitizing sink was not set up. Next inspection: May 1.

Subway, 11411 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Five violations on April 24 during a routine inspection. Violations include several meats including chicken breast and roast beef that weren’t kept cold enough, no chlorine sanitizer test strips available, incorrect preparation date on chicken strips, unlabeled spray bottle of degreaser, chlorine sanitizer wasn’t concentrated enough. Next inspection: May 4.

Wendy’s, 6404 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Two violations on April 23 during a routine inspection. Violations include sliced Swiss cheese and sliced pepper jack cheese that weren’t kept cold enough, sliced American cheese that can be left out for eight hours wasn’t labeled with the time it was removed from refrigeration. Next inspection: May 3.

If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.

To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.

To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.

Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.

For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.

Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.

The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.

Sedgwick County health officials have confirmed the area’s first case of measles in eight years, officials announced Wednesday morning.

The virus was identified in a child between the ages of 5 and 10 who is unvaccinated, a press release said. The health department is working to identify the source of exposure, and said the agency would notify those who may have been exposed.

Anyone who visited the Carnicerías El Güero grocery store No. 1 at 524 W 21st St. N. in Wichita April 29 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus, health department officials said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Anyone who was there in that time frame is being asked to watch for symptoms and to contact the health department if they develop.

“We urge residents to review their vaccination status and consult their healthcare provider if they have symptoms such as fever, cough or rash,” health department director Adrienne Byrne said in the press release.

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Measles is a highly contagious virus spread through the air. An infected individual usually won’t see symptoms until about 10 to 14 days after exposure, according to Mayo Clinic, and they are contagious four days before and after symptoms begin and end.

Measles symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat and a runny nose, as well as a rash that begins on the face and moves to the neck, chest and back. It can also reach the arms and legs.

Historically during an outbreak, 1 in 5 people who contract the virus need hospital care, Byrne said in an April interview with The Eagle. In severe cases, people with measles can eventually develop pneumonia.

The Sedgwick County case joins the other 46 confirmed measles cases in Kansas, a number last updated April 30, according to a Kansas Department of Health and Environment dashboard. There was a total of 935 confirmed measles cases nationwide as of May 1, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The last measles case reported in the county was in 2017.

“Measles remains one of the most contagious diseases, with the potential for serious complications,” Byrne said in the press release. “The best way to prevent measles is by getting vaccinated. Protect children by making sure they have the MMR vaccine.”

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective at protecting individuals from contracting measles. During an outbreak, children as young as 6 months living in the area can get the first dose of the vaccine.

This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 10:26 AM.

The booths and heavy drapes are out. The Chipotle-esque bar displaying dozens of fresh ingredients is in.

And today — Wednesday, April 23 — Natasha Gandhi-Rue plans to launch a soft-opening period for her reimagined downtown restaurant at 725 E. Douglas, which is no longer The Kitchen but is now known as Express Kitchen.

Last week, Gandhi-Rue shared the plan she’d come up with to help guard her downtown location against the toll she fears the new paid downtown parking plan will take on the business, which she opened in 2016.

Though she’s leaving her larger, full-service second location of The Kitchen at 3622 N. Oliver as is, she closed the downtown location two and a half weeks ago to change it into a quick-service place where customers decide whether they want a wrap, a salad or a bowl then choose their proteins, veggies and sauces from a display of fresh ingredients displayed at the front counter, where they’ll place their orders.

Though Express Kitchen will still be open to dine-in customers, it’s designed to get people in and out with their meals before they have to pay for a parking space. The city of Wichita plans to implement paid downtown parking in July, though people will be able to park for free for 15 minutes.

Gandhi-Rue and her contractor husband, Scott Rue, say they may want to open more locations of Express Kitchen, but they’ll wait at least nine months so they can see how it catches on with customers.

“If the concept works and works well, then we will replicate this on the west side of town and maybe in Andover,” Scott Rue said.

Express Kitchen’s menu is displayed on digital boards behind the counter (and also is included below). It includes healthier proteins, fresh and grilled veggies and a variety of sauces, spices and salad dressings. Protein choices are grilled chicken, chipotle chicken, seared steak, crab sticks, mojo pork and adobo beef.

Customers can build their own bowls, salads or wraps themselves or choose a suggested combination from the menu board. Among the suggested bowls are several that were on the downtown menu previously, including a Thai Bowl and a Spicy Yum Yum Bowl.

“You can always get our standard favorites that people have been enjoying for the last eight years,” Gandhi-Rue said. “But you can also customize your own bowl. Or you can say, ‘I want a Thai Bowl, but can I add a soy-marinated egg to it? Can I add cucumbers to it?’ So you have the ability to make some good choices. “

Gandhi-Rue said she wanted the new restaurant to focus on artfully-arranged bowls, commonly referred to as Buddha Bowls, because they’ve become one of her personal favorites and have helped her drop weight. When she added them to the menu at The Kitchen, they were a hit.

“I started doing Buddha bowls because I got sick of eating salads here,” she said. “I was trying to lose all this weight, and so I was like, ‘Okay, we’re going to start doing these.’ And everybody just fell in love with it, including me. I eat a different Buddha bowl probably four days of the week.”

The new approach also allows groups of people who don’t like the same kind of cuisine to have options. The focus at Express Kitchen is on Asian and Latin flavors, but Gandhi-Rue said that in the future, she may add ingredients that could be used for Italian, Indian or Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

After customers order and pay at Express Kitchen, they fill their own drinks at a drink station and, if they’re dining in, they pick a seat. Though the booths are gone, the dining room still has lots of tables and chairs, and people also can still choose to sit on the restaurant’s spacious back patio.

The only other major change to the inside of the restaurant is new paint, which now includes a border of bright yellow. The owners still plan to add a few more finishing touches, including artwork and plants.

The downtown restaurant no longer has a full bar, but customers can get beer, hard seltzers and canned cocktails. Food is served in disposable containers.

At a soft-opening event on Monday night, the staff was able to quickly serve customers. In fact, Gandhi-Rue said, it got 60 people through the line in 45 minutes.

She’s still considering Wednesday a soft-opening, Gandhi-Rue said, because staff members are all still learning their jobs.

The Kitchen at 3622 N. Oliver, which Gandhi-Rue opened a year ago, won’t change its approach. It will still operate as a full-service, sit-down restaurant with The Kitchen’s original menu. Gandhi-Rue said she hopes to start offering more nightly specials and to also add brunch to her offerings there.

Kitchen Express is being run by Gandhi-Rue’s stepson, Kristopher Rue. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and its website is xpresskitchen.net

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