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A local real estate and development firm has purchased the former Briman s Leading Jewelers building at the corner of S.E. 8th and Kansas avenues in downtown Topeka.
Seth Wagoner, CEO of Topeka-based AIM Strategies, confirmed Monday that the local firm has purchased the former Briman s building, at 734 S. Kansas.
Briman s Leading Jewelers vacated the building last year after announcing in July that the business would close.
Wagoner said AIM Strategies closed on the property March 29, paying about $178,000 for it.
Since the purchase, he has been working to secure potential tenants for the space, which has three floors a basement area, first floor and second floor offering a total of more than 5,500-square-feet.
The Pennant s newest menu item is a patty melt with a twist. The Vince s Party Melt, as it is dubbed by the downtown Topeka restaurant, isn t only a unique play on the crowd-favorite sandwich but has been created in honor of former Downtown Topeka Inc. president Vince Frye.
The sandwich, which was unveiled Friday to a room full of Frye s family, friends and colleagues and Frye himself, will be a permanent menu item. The sandwich dedication comes just a few months after Frye retired from his position as DTI president, a role in which he served for eight years.
Frye collaborated with The Pennant to create the sandwich, which is made with a burger patty, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, a blend of horseradish, mustard and Thousand Island dressing and Frye s favorite topping: bacon. The ingredients are sandwiched between two slices of toasted marble rye bread.
A new menu item has come to The Pennant, and this time, it is in honor of former Downtown Topeka Inc. president Vince Frye. Vince s Party Melt was created in collaboration with Frye and the downtown Topeka restaurant. The sandwich is made with a burger patty, cheddar cheese, a Thousand Island dressing, mustard and horseradish sauce and bacon an added topping that Frye recommends. Two pieces of toasted marble rye finish off the sandwich.
The sandwich was added to the menu Friday and will have a permanent home at The Pennant.
Seth Wagoner, CEO of AIM Strategies, said The Pennant wanted to create a sandwich that commemorated Frye and the work he has done to make downtown Topeka a thriving district.
For some downtown Topeka businesses, Kansas lawmakers coming to town for the state s legislative session each year often results in a bump in business.
That s typically the case at least for The Celtic Fox, a restaurant and Irish pub that has operated in downtown Topeka for nearly two decades. It is normally an extremely busy time for us, a time that we rely very heavily on to kind of sustain us getting through the rest of the year when things are a little slower and quieter downtown, said Katie Turner, the restaurant s general manager.
Though that spike in business is even more crucial this year given the losses downtown establishments and businesses across the capital city have seen throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Turner isn t optimistic this year s legislative session will be The Celtic Fox s saving grace. And other local establishments could be in a similar boat.