The Henry’s Society

Enriching the lives of tomorrow, by honoring the past

The Henry’s Society

Become a founding member of The Henry’s Society

The Henry's Society
You’re invited to join the newly formed Henry’s Society, a group dedicated to honoring Wichita’s history, while celebrating the new energy that NICHE will bring to the downtown corridor and the future of the region’s culinary landscape. Your membership will directly benefit culinary arts programming and student scholarships at NICHE (and is 80% tax deductible).

Cost to join the Henry’s Society is a $1,000 annual donation with a five-year commitment and includes the following benefits:

  • Two tickets to the Henry’s Society cocktail events, featuring cuisine prepared and presented by NICHE students (twice per year)
  • Recognition on NICHE and WSU Tech websites
  • The Henry’s Society lapel pin
  • Pre-sale access to NICHE events and non-credit culinary experiences
  • Pride of supporting the next generation of culinary professionals

Upcoming Event: What Is YOUR Henry’s Story?

Date: Wednesday, November 6

Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Henry’s Place at NICHE | 124 S. Broadway

Street and garage parking available.

Local filmmakers Charity and Sara Harmon will join us to capture on video the stories of Henry’s Department Store for an upcoming documentary on department stores in downtown Wichita. We invite you to share your Henry’s story at the event, all while enjoying culinary offerings created and presented by NICHE students.

 Henry’s Society members receive two complimentary tickets as a benefit of membership. Guest tickets are available for $75 each.

Gala Opening for Henry's Department Store

Henry’s Department Store

Gala Opening

Henry's Department Store

Henry’s Department Store

Henry's Department Store

Christmastime at Henry's Department Store

Christmastime at Henry’s

Christmastime at Henry's

Henry’s transformation

Just as Henry’s was Wichita’s premier clothing retailer 75 years ago, the facility now has new life as the home of Wichita’s premier culinary experiences and education.

National Institute for Culinary and Hospitality Education

WSU Tech’s National Institute for Culinary and Hospitality Education (NICHE) covers a diverse menu of options, from artisanal breads and pastries to global cuisine classes. The student experience will include café, restaurant, banquets, events, and commercial food production.

Open to the public at NICHE will be a first-floor food hall, a demonstration kitchen on the mezzanine level, and an indoor/outdoor event space on the rooftop – all of which add elements to Wichita’s dining, education, and entertainment scenes that have not previously existed.

Also unique to NICHE is a first-of-its-kind professional culinary skills program for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Stay up to date with the open-to-the-public offerings at NICHE by visiting NICHEks.com.

NICHE Students First Day

NICHE Students First Day

National Institute Culinary and Hospitality Education

NICHE Students First Day

NICHE Students First Day-2

Located in Downtown Wichita

NICHE Students First Day

NICHE Students First Day-3

First Day at NICHE

Henry’s Society Members

The American Institute of Wine & Food, Wichita Chapter
Donna Ard
Paul and Kim Attwater
Clark and Sharon Bastian
Kate and Clay Bastian
Fred and Sue Berry
Walter and Polly Berry
Nicholas Bonavia
John and Cindy Carnahan
Cindy and Charlie Claycomb
Douglas Stark, ComfortCareHomes
Matt Cortez
Steve and Janis Cox
Kent and Pam Crain
Margaret Dechant
Jed and Paula Delmore
Amanda, Chris, Jeep, Connelly and Delaney Duncan
Mark D Eaton and Giovanna Schmidt
Red Door Three, LLC
Casey Eubank
Mary Eves
Fidelity Bank

Fidelity Bank
Gloria Farha Flentje
Grace & Zach Gearhart
Jeff & Melissa Fluhr
Bill Gardner
Larisa Genin and Edward Goldberg
Pete and Bridgette Geoghegan
Matthew and Mary Patricia Hesse
David L. Hill
Dyan Thornton – IMA
INTRUST Bank
Krystal Iseminger
Kabat Family
Elizabeth and Donald King
Patty and Ed Koehler
Robert and Pam Layman
Lee Media Group
Jim and Sarah Leftwich
Roger and Irene Lowe
DJ McClenny
Patrick Neville
Thrive Restaurant Group
Tim and Susan Norton

One Spark Foundation
Dr. Dennis and Ann Ross
Bill Rowe
Scott and Janet Schwindaman
Sierra Scott and Harrison Schenk
Dr. Penny and Alan Seiwert
Courtney and Jeremy Sendall
James Hall and Jennifer Seymour
Harvey and Stephanie Sorensen
Slawson Companies
Spirit AeroSystems
Cessna + Beechcraft by Textron Aviation
Daniel and Jill Thompson
Patricia and Leroy Thompson
Joe & Sheila Tigert
Ragu and Suparna Tirukonda
Dr. Chandra Tokala and Mrs. Sudha Tokala
Dr. Sheree and David Utash
Christa Rude Vazeos
Telly McGaha
Stev Overstreet
Steve and Tonya Witherspoon
Sheryl and Doug Wohlford

*As of October 2024

Ready to join?

Cost to join the Henry’s Society is a $1,000 annual donation with a five-year commitment and includes the following benefits:

  • Two tickets to the Henry’s Society cocktail events, featuring cuisine prepared and presented by NICHE students (twice per year)
  • Recognition on plaque in vestibule of event center
  • Recognition on NICHE and WSU Tech websites
  • The Henry’s Society lapel pin
  • Pre-sale access to NICHE events and non-credit culinary experiences
  • Pride of supporting the next generation of culinary professionals

A receipt for a tax-deductible contribution of $800 will be provide at year’s end. Membership renews annually on May 1.

For more information, contact at Courtney Sendall at csendall@wsutech.edu.