CHESTER'S NEW PATIO FILLS, THRILLS DINERS
WRITTEN BY KIM DUGGER ATTWATER
Experience says that opening a Wichita restaurant patio in October can be a tricky proposition. But when you’ve got an asset like the new patio at Chester’s Chophouse, there was no way to keep it under wraps until next spring.
The east-side restaurant debuted its new lakeside seating last month, Mother Nature cooperated and happy diners immediately filled the seats. That’s saying something considering that the patio now holds about 200 more people than it did before. The space manages to feel both grand and intimate, probably because it wraps around the side of Chester’s that overlooks The Waterfront lake. Each table has a slightly different view of the gorgeous surroundings.
Owner George Youssef started planning to use the extra space soon after taking over the restaurant three years ago. “When we sat down and bought this place, I said I wanted it to be the best restaurant in town,” he said. “When you see an opportunity like this, you want to take advantage of it.”
The pandemic delayed the project as workers waited for just the right materials to blend the expansion with the existing restaurant’s richly rustic vibe. The wait paid off. There are fire pits and heaters for cooler temperatures and a handsome new bar to serve the patio. The previous patio space has been turned into the “chandelier room,” featuring chandeliers made by Youssef’s brother, an artist in Lebanon. That area, which seats about 60, is now technically indoors so it can be used year-round (and is also available for private parties). However, large bay doors that connect it to the patio can be thrown open in fine weather.
That’s exactly what diners enjoyed last month. After so much anticipation, the place positively buzzed as musicians played in one corner of the patio last weekend. Youssef could only shake his head and laugh when asked if the project had come in on budget. “More,” he said.
More improvements are planned, too, including renovations to the interior and tweaks to the menu.
“We want to make the food more fun and wine driven,” said Youssef, who has decades of experience in Wichita’s restaurant industry and who also owns Georges French Bistro. “I want to grow the identity of it to be more local, more farm-to-table. It was born as a steakhouse and we’ll keep it as a steakhouse, but just up the creativity level.”
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