Daiquiri bar that also serves food with a New Orleans flair has opened in Wichita

Kansas City already has a few successful daiquiri bars.

So when Kansas City resident Shannon Richardson decided she wanted to start her own, she turned her attention to Wichita, where several entrepreneurs over the years have talked about opening daiquiri bars but none have actually pulled it off .

Recently, Richardson opened Jabo’s Liquid Lounge in a building at 3107 W. Central that once was home to Paradise Donut .

Not only does the restaurant specialize in daiquiris but it also has a menu of soul food favorites like fried fish, chicken, shrimp, oxtails and grits.

“A lot of people when they come in say they get the New Orleans vibe,” Richardson said. “That’s exactly what I was going for. I wanted it to have a calming feeling.”

Richardson, a Salina native, said that she also settled on Wichita because it’s close to where she grew up. Though she’s still living in Kansas City for now, she plans to relocate to Wichita before the school year starts.

She completely redid the building, she said, giving it a gray-and-purple motif and adding a pool table. The restaurant has seating for around 30 people and also has a lounge area, Richardson said. She doesn’t have a sign up on the building yet but said she’s working on it.

At the moment, she has three daiquiri machines making three different flavors, including the popular caramel apple. But eventually, she hopes to have nine machines. Though all of her daiquiris now are alcohol-infused, she plans to add some non-alcoholic versions as well.

She describes her food as soul food with a New Orleans vibe. In addition to fish and chicken dishes, the menu also includes “Birdie Burgers,” which are sliders topped with fried eggs, and sides like okra, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onion rings and collard greens.

So far, Richardson said, the most popular dish has been her oxtails, which she serves on weekends.

“I’ve probably done them four times, and they sell out within the first hour,” she said.

For now, Jabo’s Liquid Lounge is open from 1 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Richardson said that once she gets moved to Wichita, she’ll expand those hours and add a “Taco Tuesday” special.

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