A swank new cigar bar is about to open on the top floor of one of Wichita’s most recognized buildings — but you’ll need to be a member to enjoy it and its sweeping downtown views.
The same goes for a new upscale dining room, which recently opened on the top floor of the same building and also offers top-floor views, just from a different direction.
Access to the two spaces is one of the perks of the Ninth Floor Club, which last year took over the space long occupied by the historic Petroleum Club on the ninth floor of the Ruffin Building at 100 N. Broadway. The club’s ownership, which includes Terradyne Country Club general manager Scott Welsh, renamed it and have been making upgrades to it ever since.
When they took over, the new owners said they wanted to beef up the club’s membership and planned to do so by offering perks that members of the Wichita business community would have a hard time turning down. Converting an old storage area into an upscale dining room separate from the 215-capacity ballroom that the club regularly rents out for weddings, office parties and professional club meetings was one of the perks they planned. So was the cigar bar.
Now, the dining room is complete. Named the “Petroleum Room,” it has seating for about 40 people and during the day is illuminated with natural light streaming in from skylights. Two sides of the new dining room — one that faces south and one that faces west — afford views of downtown, and the dining room also has wood accents, chandeliers, new carpet and its own bar…