Wichita food truckers expanding with brick-and-mortar presence inside new esports venue

Prost co-owner Austin English announced in early June his plans to open Glas Haus Racing in the former Molino’s space at 7817 E. 37th St. North.

But he and his wife, Manu, were clear on one thing: Though they wanted the new esports venue to offer food, they were too busy with their German restaurant at 2721 E. Central to provide it themselves.

They’ve found some partners who can, though.

Rodrigo and Jessica Ciriaco, who two years ago opened their Brazita Bites food truck, have just signed a lease with Glas Haus Racing and will offer their Brazilian fare there.

They’ll be taking over the commercial kitchen in the space and will offer their full food truck menu, including their popular chicken coxinhas, their fried cheese bread and their bite-sized churros.

Customers can eat at provided indoor tables or at the venue’s south-facing covered patio. The Ciriacos will also have use of the building’s drive-through window, left over from its early days as a hot dog restaurant called LinkHaus, though at first, they’ll use it just as a pickup window for to-go orders.

Glas Haus Racing will open to the public on July 13, and the Brazita Bites food truck will be set up and serving food from the trailer outside. Because their July calendar is booked with food truck events, the Ciriacos likely won’t get moved in and set up inside Glas Haus until the first or second week of August, Rodrigo said.

They’ll continue to operate the food truck, too, he said. And once they’re all moved into their new commercial kitchen, they’ll be able to start on another project: selling frozen coxinhas that people can buy in bulk and serve at home.

Glas Haus Racing is a sim racing facility with eight high-end simulators that offer everyday drivers an opportunity to try out some of the top race tracks around the world. English, who partnered with Tevin Manuel on the business, also will offer a bar stocked with bottled and canned beers as well as twisted teas.

Rodrigo Ciriaco, a native of Rio de Janeiro, moved to Wichita to play soccer at Friends University. He got married and decided to stay but wanted to give Wichita a taste of his favorite street food from back home. Coxinha are fried dough balls stuffed with various fillings.

Rodrigo said he’s been happy with the reception the truck has gotten since it first opened, and in addition to the community of nearly 200 Brazlians who call Wichita home, the truck also has earned fans among native Wichitans.

“We are so surprised by the number of people we see people with smiles on their faces, and we are happy to serve our community and bring our food and share our love with them,” he said.