‘People really want this here’: Topeka women look to start Cat Café
11 November 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka BBQ joint is getting ready for some big changes in the downtown area.
KSNT 27 News spoke with the owners of Nauling’s Texas BBQ & Soul Food about their plans to expand their business. Aside from moving to a bigger space just next door to their current location, the couple has some other exciting updates to share with their local fans.
Kim and Rodrick Nauling have been running their business since December of 2021. Their new location, which they hope to move into and open up later this year, can be found just south of their current spot.
Rodrick said this new area will allow them to have a larger seating space for guests. He is also looking to add several new menu items for people to try.
“I’ve been working on a couple different things. So, we’re gonna have kiosks with self-ordering. You can put in your order, then it’ll tell you to go to your table. Then we will also have a robot and so our robot will be bringing the food out to you.”
Kim said the robot they’re looking to use can carry four trays of food and is around four feet tall. She said they’ll have to program it to bring food to people and get it used to the layout of the place.
As for an official opening date, the couple said they don’t have one ready to be released yet. However, they hope to have everything open in December this year with a soft opening in the near future to let a select few try out the new menu items.
“We’ll send out invitations so that we can get a feel of things,” Kim said. “Just getting the opinions of people who we know have our best interests in mind.”
The current hours for Nauling’s are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Kim said their hours will change after the move to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
“Doing this is not just about us,” Rodrick said. “This is actually because of the people of Topeka. Had it not been for them, none of this would not even have been possible. It’s not an expansion for us, it’s an expansion for Topeka.”
You can find Nauling’s at 1001 SE Quincy Street. If you want to learn more about the restaurant, check out its Facebook or website.
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