Carlos O’Kelly’s closed its doors permanently Tuesday after 37 years of business in Manhattan.
The company confirmed the closure in a statement.
“Closing our Manhattan Carlos O’Kelly’s was a difficult business decision,” restaurant officials said in an email to The Mercury. “Like many in the restaurant industry, we continually evaluate performance, and despite our best efforts and trying everything we could, we simply couldn’t make it work in this location. Our focus right now is on our team.
“We are deeply grateful to the community for nearly 40 years of support, and we invite them to visit us for their queso fix at one of our other Kansas locations.”
A few people on social media expressed shock at the closure, and some said staff members hadn’t been told until shortly before.
Carlos O’Kelly’s now has five active locations in Kansas — three in Wichita, one in Salina and one in Hutchinson. Previously the company had locations in Hays and Emporia, among other cities.
The restaurant opened as a tenant in Manhattan Town Center in 1989, where it remained until moving to the Manhattan Crossing shopping center along Frontage Road in 2015.
Brothers David and Darrel Rolph opened the first Carlos O’Kelly’s in 1981 in Marion, Iowa. The restaurant’s headquarters is in Wichita.
Another restaurant, Tequila Modern Mexican, 322 Southwind Place, also has closed. That restaurant, also part of a chain, opened at the end of 2024 after at least a year and a half of setup.