K9 Protection Dogs in Wichita, KS

These curated stories highlight Wichita businesses, schools, and venues that passed recent health and safety inspections.

Ethnic eateries like Bella’s Lao Beef Jerky Cafe join national names such as Chipotle Mexican Grill on the lists. Local dessert shops and cafes also met inspection standards, signaling wide compliance across different food types. Food trucks like Black Sheep Kettle Corn and zoo dining venues such as Baobab Cafe at the Sedgwick County Zoo made the grade.

Schools including Clearwater Elementary School West and Blessed Sacrament Catholic School achieved strong inspection results, as did community spots like Boulevard Theatres at Old Town.

Read the stories below.

Looking for a place to dine out, grocery shop or stay in the Wichita-area? You might consider businesses that passed their health inspections. | Published January 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

Restaurants at the airport and mall, fast-food joints, bars, bookstore cafes and other local favorites are on the list this time. | Published February 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

Restaurants selling ethnic fare, cafes, a BBQ joint, a bakery and and other local spots are on the list of places that passed health inspections this time. | Published March 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

In all, 69 restaurants, hotels and other businesses in and around Wichita passed food safety or lodging inspections April 20-26. | Published May 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

Looking for dining or lodging options in Wichita? See which 38 locations passed Kansas Department of Agriculture health checks from May 11-17. | Published May 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

See Wichita-area restaurants, food trucks, and hotels that passed health inspections. Fifty-six businesses made the latest list. | Published June 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

See Wichita-area restaurants, stores & hotels that passed health inspections. Forty-four businesses made the latest list. | Published June 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amy Renee Leiker

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported and written by Amy Renee Leiker and edited by McClatchy journalists.

Looking for a place to dine out, grocery shop or stay in the Wichita area?

You might consider visiting businesses that passed recent health inspections.

Places that serve and sell food or offer lodging to the public are regularly inspected by the Kansas Department of Agriculture to make sure they’re clean and safe. The rules they’re expected to follow include things such as keeping bugs and mice out, handling food properly, avoiding old food, ensuring workers wash their hands, and keeping equipment and rooms in good repair so no one gets sick or hurt.

Here are 35 locations in Sedgwick County that passed food safety or lodging inspections from June 15-21, according to the state. Many had few or no violations.

Inspections happen routinely but also when someone files a complaint. Inspectors return to businesses that failed recent checks to make sure they’ve fixed any problems, so some places that appear on this list may have had trouble previously.

The health checks occur at restaurants, stores, gas stations, hotels, motels, schools, concession stands, entertainment venues, bars, food trucks and other businesses and organizations that feed or rent rooms to the public.

This list was compiled on June 23 using information available from the state on that date. It covers only Sedgwick County.

But you can search food and lodging inspection results anywhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

Want to see who failed? Find those businesses at www.kansas.com/databases.

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 or check their websites for specific service locations.

2016 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez made the local fans in Wichita, Kansas, happy by stopping Robert Ledesma in the second round Friday at the Charles Koch Arena.

The bout, which was stopped at 1 minute and 12 seconds of the second, served as the co-feature for heavyweight Deontay Wilder’s return.

Hernandez, a Wichita native, was coming off a two-year layoff and fighting at bantamweight but showed no rust against his overmatched opponent. As the crowd cheered his name – “Nico, Nico, Nico” – he ripped at Ledesma’s body, dropping him with a series of hooks to end the first round. Hernandez again sent Ledesma to the canvas in Round 2. A right hook to the body sent Ledesma down for the final time.

Hernandez improved to 12-0 (5 KOs). Ledesma, a 38-year-old from San Antonio, fell to 3-15-1 (2 KOs).

Cuban heavyweight Gustavo Trujillo, who trains out of Miami, earned a sixth-round technical knockout over Lateef Kayode, of Hollywood, California. The time of the stoppage was 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

Trujillo, 32 – and 10 years younger than Kayode, who is 42 – controlled the entire fight. Trujillo rocked Kayode in the third, then continued the assault, rocking and mauling his opponent on the ropes as Kayode mounted only a limited amount of offense back. In the sixth, Trujillo unleashed a flurry of punches that forced Kayode’s corner to inform the referee that their fighter couldn’t continue.

Trujillo is now 8-0 (7 KOs), and Kayode is 22-6 (17 KOs).

Cruiserweight Aaron Casper, of Augusta, Georgia, won a six-round unanimous decision over Jeff Page Jnr, of Andover, Kansas. The scores were 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56 for Casper.

Casper, who improved to 9-11-2 (5 KOs), might not have a distinguished record, but he has been active: this was his fifth fight of the year. Page showed rust in coming off an eight-year layoff and fighting in a new weight class. Page, 34, once fought former light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev, but he got outboxed by Casper in a hometown fight. Page’s record is now 18-4 (12 KOs).

Eric Valencia, of Garden City, Kansas, earned a first-round technical knockout over Willie Harris, of Lewisville, Texas. The time was 58 seconds of the round. The first right hand of the fight from Valencia dropped Harris. A left hook from Valencia knocked the wind out of Harris, who had a delayed reaction to the blow and took a considerable amount of time to get to his feet.

Valencia, 21, is now 4-0 (4 KOs). Harris, 20, is 0-2 as a pro.

Heavyweight John Cantrell, of Topeka, Kansas, knocked out Franklin Sparks, of Springfield, Missouri, in the first round. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute and 43 seconds. A left hook from Cantrell, known as “The Ironman,” dropped Sparks in Round 1. Although Sparks got to his feet, he was unable to continue.

Cantrell, 35, is now 14-0 (13 KOs), while Sparks, 40, is 4-5 (3 KOs).

Junior welterweight Jorge Carlos, of Olathe, Kansas, knocked out Jay Krupp, of Pensacola, Florida, in the first round. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute, 24 seconds. Carlos, 25, landed a left hook to the body that sent Krupp down in the first round, but Krupp got up. Carlos went back to the body, landing another left hook on Krupp, who winced in pain on the canvas and was slow to get up after being counted out.

Carlos is now 10-0 (9 KOs), while Krupp – after returning to the ring following a 10-year hiatus – dropped to 18-11 (8 KOs).

Undefeated 19-year-old super middleweight Marco Romero, of Olathe, knocked out 43-year-old Andre Amaro, of Honolulu, Hawaii, in the first round. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute, 12 seconds. Romero landed a left hook followed by an overhand right that sent Amaro to the canvas, where he would stay.

Romero improved to 9-0 (8 KOs), while Amaro fell to 2-1 (2 KOs). Romero is now riding a five-fight knockout streak. He had fought only 13 days prior, on June 14, stopping Nafys Anas Garner in the second round.

In the opening bout, a battle of Wichita featherweights making their pro debuts saw Chancey Wilson win a four-round unanimous decision over Joshua Richey. A right hook by the southpaw Wilson, followed by a series of punches, sent Richey down in Round 2. Two judges scored the bout 40-35, while one had it 39-36.

Wilson is now 1-0, and Richey fell to 0-1.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.

Living and dead cockroaches, mouse poop, dead flies, filthy conditions in kitchens, a moldy soda nozzle, food stored on the floor, employees who didn’t wash their hands, contamination risks 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. Eight restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from June 22-28.

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

Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Locations 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 July 2 using information available from the state on that date. It covers Sedgwick County only.

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.

Corner Market #125, 1254 S. Tyler Road in Wichita — Eight violations on June 25 during a routine inspection. Establishment did not have a written plan to clean up vomiting or diarrhea, no food probe thermometer, two different kinds of popsicles for sale had no retail labeling, ambient air thermometer inside of glass door cooler read 40F while inspector’s thermometer read 49F, large sign blocking hand-washing sink, plumbing issue at mop sink, food in cooler including cheese and milk weren’t kept cold enough, large buildup of mold on soda fountain nozzle. Next inspection: July 5.

Fu Bing Petroleum, 248 S. Hillside in Wichita — Two violations on June 25 during a routine inspection. Water at the three-vat sink and the mop sink didn’t get hot enough, water at the hand-washing sink in the restroom wasn’t hot enough. Next inspection: July 5.

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Wichita Airport, 6335 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Four violations on June 25 during a routine inspection. Butter packets and waffle mix weren’t kept cold enough, no test strips available for sanitizer, sausage links in the buffet warmer weren’t hot enough, apples on the buffet line weren’t individually wrapped to protect them from contamination. Next inspection: July 5.

The Mango Tree, 111 E. 47th St. South in Wichita — Four violations on June 26 during a follow-up inspection. Live cockroaches observed crawling along the floor in dish area, no pest control sticky traps on floors, dead cockroaches observed in dish area and office space, several dead flies around restaurant, fly strip hanging above clean side of dish machine. Next inspection: Aug. 26.

Minisuper Aquascalientes, 3363 E. 47th St. South in Wichita — Nine violations on June 24 during a routine inspection. General level of cleanliness throughout business needs improvement, plastic container used as a scoop for bulk peanuts had several holes and cracks, hand-washing sink was blocked by a cardboard box, raw eggs and raw pork were stored over ready-to-eat foods in coolers, several rodent droppings throughout business, several dead flies and a dead mouse, several items inside cooler weren’t labeled with their package opening or preparation dates, bulk food display had accumulation of food debris below food trays, onions stored on floor. Next inspection: July 4.

Sam’s Southern Eatery, 2706 N. Amidon in Wichita — Nine violations on June 27 during a complaint inspection. Several foods including potato salad and coleslaw weren’t kept cold enough, excessive amount of grease and food debris behind fryers and cold make tables, ceiling above cook line and in hallway has buildup of dust and grime, bottles of bleach water and degreaser weren’t labeled, raw chicken and raw fish were stored above open containers of Alfredo sauce and noodles, water didn’t get hot enough at sinks, cheesecake was not labeled with its package opening date, rice and macaroni and cheese were stored in T-shirt to-go bags instead of food-grade containers, cooked popcorn shrimp was stored in T-shirt to-go bag instead of food-grade container, dead batteries in food thermometer, no soap at hand-washing sink on food preparation line. Next inspection: July 8.

Tianluo Bistro, 11309 E. Kellogg Drive North, Suite 200 in Wichita — Four violations on June 24 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Cans of soy sauce and fish sauce in dry storage had holes in them, raw pork liver was stored above a box of whole eggplant, raw eggs and raw chicken were stored over green beans, raw chicken stored above container of noodles, restaurant was thawing whole raw ducks at room temperature, no sanitizer test strips. Next inspection: Aug. 24.

TPS Midwest Corp, 3108 E. 31st St. South in Wichita — Fifteen violations on June 26 during a routine inspection. Several employees washed their hands at the wrong sink, peppers were not labeled with the time they were placed in the steam table, raw shrimp thawing at room temperature, employee didn’t wash hands between washing dishes and handling food, employee cut raw onions without wearing gloves, chlorine sanitizer was unmeasurable at three-compartment sink, no drain for mop sink faucet, no floor drain at service sink near meat area, no written plan for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, cracks around back exit doors, dead cockroaches and flies, salsas weren’t cold enough in cooler, several bags of corn husks and bag of peanuts were stored on the ground, container of beans had a bowl sitting directly on them, several areas need to be cleaned, food debris and other grime behind cold holding units and in corners. Next inspection: July 6.

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 [email protected] 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.

Summer’s biggest holiday is right around the corner, so it’s time to tackle your to-do list.

If you’re hosting a party this Fourth of July, which is Friday, now’s the time to make a shopping plan to avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store. But if you do find yourself in need of some items, a few Wichita area retailers will be open for the holiday.

While Costco and Natural Grocers are closed Friday in observance of Independence Day, Wichitans will still have several options for their last-minute groceries, as well as liquor stores for holiday party cocktails.

Here’s a list of grocery and liquor stores open normal or reduced hours Friday, July 4.

Walmart is open normal hours for the Fourth of July, usually from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., but that could vary by location. Call your specific store or visit Walmart’s store locator for your location’s hours. The pharmacy will be open reduced hours.

Target is also open normal hours Friday, which vary by location. Visit Target’s website for your specific store’s hours. The pharmacy will be either closed or open reduced hours, depending on the location. Call your store for specific pharmacy hours.

Dillons is open normal hours, generally from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., July 4. Visit the Dillon’s store locator for your specific store’s information. The pharmacy will be closed.

Aldi is open reduced hours for Independence Day, closing at 4 p.m.

Sam’s Club is open reduced hours for the holiday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Plus members and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Club members.

Trader Joe’s will be open reduced hours on the holiday, as well, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Whole Foods will operate on reduced hours for the Fourth of July, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All GreenAcres Market locations will be open normal hours on the holiday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for its East 21st Street and West 21st Street locations, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for its East Central store.

Here’s a list of some popular liquor stores in Wichita and their hours for the holiday: