By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The inside of the former KFC restaurant at 2917 10th Street in Great Bend has been transformed. In April, Amore Italian Restaurant announced it was moving into the former fast-food chicken joint. Niko Ahmeti will be managing the Great Bend location, which is set to open on Tuesday, June 18 at 11 a.m.
"My cousin and I are going to be running the store for now," he said. "I'm going to be back there working in the kitchen. We have many people interested in working here. We're training them right now and hope everything goes smoothly. We made a couple of changes there, a few pictures, some new lighting," he said. "We fixed the ceilings. We cleaned everything. Lots of hard work went here."
Amore already has established stores in several larger markets, including Derby, Wichita, and Salina. The restaurant specializes in authentic Italian cuisine.
"Everything is going to be made by hand," Ahmeti said. "Everything is made from scratch. We're going to be here all day, basically, working, preparing the food, delivering."
Amore already has a liquor license and Ahmeti said a full bar is in the works. Until staff is trained, beer and wine will be on the menu. Customers may dine in, use the drive-thru, or get their food delivered.
Amore will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Monday.