--- title: "Newk's Eatery Opens Unit in Wichita, Kansas" url: https://burnaze.com/article/ec65a90c-8eba-4486-8f40-90144ec28dd8 source: "QSR Magazine" original_url: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/newks-eatery-opens-unit-in-wichita-kansas/ author: "Ben Coley" category: "Fast casual" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Fast casual" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-10-02T16:45:49.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T15:30:24.987Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1561758033-d89a9ad46330?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Newk's Eatery Opens Unit in Wichita, Kansas **TL;DR:** Newk's Eatery, a fast casual restaurant chain, has opened a new unit in Wichita, Kansas, as part of its strong 2026 growth trajectory. The new location is the second in Wichita, led by franchisees Melody Matulewic, Doug Matulewic, Scott Hatchett, and Jenny Hatchett. *By Ben Coley, originally published in QSR Magazine on 2026-10-02. [Read the original](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/newks-eatery-opens-unit-in-wichita-kansas/).* ## Story Newk’s Eatery, the fast casual restaurant chain known for its fresh, scratch-made sandwiches, soups, salads and pizzas, is continuing its strong 2026 growth trajectory. Following a year of significant development milestones, the brand is proud to announce its latest opening on Wichita’s up-and-coming west side, known by locals as 37th & Ridge Road, located at 3905 N. Ridge Road, Suite 210, on Monday, Oct. 5. The new location marks another step in Newk’s mission to bring its fresh ingredients, open-kitchen cooking and signature hospitality to more communities across the country. Grand opening promotions will be celebrated at both Wichita locations. On opening day, Monday, Oct. 5, guests can enjoy 50 Free Drink giveaways and 50 Free Cake giveaways. During opening week, guests can enter to win free Newk’s for a year. From Oct. 11 through Oct. 17, visitors can enter to win free drinks for a year. From Oct. 18 through Oct. 24, both locations will offer 99-cent kids’ meals every day and double Newk’s Rewards points for the week. Throughout October, guests who sign up for Newk’s Rewards will receive a free pepperoni pizza redeemable in their account at both Wichita locations. Newk’s is also partnering with the Wichita Cancer Foundation as part of the opening. Donations collected during an invitation-only Friends & Family Night on Oct. 3 and Oct. 5 through Oct. 10 will benefit the foundation through Newk’s Cares x Lori’s Light. Newk’s Cares will match all donations up to $2,000. The Wichita expansion is led by franchisees Melody Matulewic, her husband Doug, Scott Hatchett, and his wife Jenny. Scott is the longtime owner of several Wichita auto dealerships where Melody serves as the Marketing and Development director that includes brands such as Buick, GMC, Hyundai and Genesis franchises. Neither had restaurant experience before discovering Newk’s during a visit to its Bentonville, Arkansas, location. They liked the food, the variety of menu options and the opportunity to bring a relatively unknown brand to Kansas. Having operated automotive franchises for years, they also recognized the value of Newk’s established systems and franchise support. They are now opening their second Wichita restaurant, approximately 10 months after their first, which opened in December on Wichita’s east side. “We’ve had a great response to our first Wichita location, and we’re excited to bring Newk’s to the west side of town,” said Matulewic. “When we got into this business, we knew we wanted to open multiple restaurants in Wichita, so it’s exciting to see those plans moving forward. We’ve learned a lot from running our car dealerships, and the same principles apply here. It comes down to having the right people, following the right processes and running a profitable business.” As Newk’s Eatery continues to grow, the brand is looking to partner with experienced operators to open more restaurants. Newk’s now has nearly 100 locations and was recently ranked No. 25 on the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. The newest Wichita restaurant will be its second location in Kansas. “Wichita has been a great example of the kind of momentum we’re seeing across the Newk’s system,” said Chris Elliott, CEO of Newk’s parent company FSC Franchise Co. “Melody and Scott have brought a strong operator mindset to the brand, and their decision to open a second location so quickly speaks to the opportunity they see in Wichita and their confidence in the Newk’s model. As we reach 100 locations, we’re excited to continue building on that momentum and bringing Newk’s to more communities through experienced franchise partners who share our commitment to quality, hospitality and long-term growth.” ## Entities - unit expansion (topic) - QSR (sector) - franchise growth (topic) - QSR Magazine (publication) - restaurant opening (topic) - Ben Coley (person) - FSC Franchise Co. (company) - Newk's Eatery (company) - Chris Elliott (person) - Wichita, Kansas (location) - grand opening promotions (topic) - Melody Matulewic (person) --- Originally reported by Ben Coley, QSR Magazine (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/newks-eatery-opens-unit-in-wichita-kansas/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/ec65a90c-8eba-4486-8f40-90144ec28dd8).