Mrs. O’Leary’s is located in the historical redeveloped area of Wichita known as Old Town.
We began in 1992 as the first retail business in the area with a 100-year-old boarded-up warehouse and spent months, day and night (literally sleeping on the floor), to bring out its beauty. We scraped tar off the floors, pulled out all the old wiring, erected walls, and sandblasted layers of paint from the bricks to reveal its original glory. To this day, we continue to transform our lovely lady. What a feeling it is to see these old buildings come out of the shadows and breathe the life of the city once again.
How did we get our name?
Named for the story of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow and the song lyrics “It’s a hot time in the old town tonight … fire, fire, fire!”, Mrs. O’Leary has taken the blame for many mishaps and messes and, yes, we even have our own cow that adorns our front porch.*
What do we have to offer?
Starting primarily as a gifts and collectibles store, Mrs. O’Leary’s has evolved into an eclectic arts store where you can find just that product you needed to make your project special. The crew at Mrs. O’Leary’s is knowledgeable and always willing to help you with the information and/or products you need to create and explore. Weekly classes and demos are a great way to learn new skills or just have fun with all our friends.
The Family That Works Together….
By coincidence, we opened a seasonal club and restaurant connected to Mrs. O’Leary’s building. Its interior was wooden and burned out about 40 years ago. (No, the cow had nothing to do with it.) The structure’s brick shell was shored up and created the closure to contain The Brickyard, an open-air venue featuring dining, dancing, liquid libations, and live music from local and touring musicians.
In the year of 2012, our children (of home and heart) returned home after starting their careers in varying locations. Being confirmed foodie’s through out their travels, they took their love of wholesome homegrown ingredients and embarked on the Public Restaurant that is located under Mrs O’Leary’s and connected to the Brickyard.
Come and join the herd!
If you are ever in the area, we hope you will stop by and visit with us. Look for our sign. Look for the cow. And if you still can’t find us, give us a call and we’ll come out and wave you down.
– Mrs. O’Leary