It’s no secret that Derby has been increasingly growing, but this time it’s not about a gas station or a new park, but something arguably more exciting: a wave of new businesses being built.
For a good while now there has been a wide space of empty fields going down Rock road in between Derby and Wichita, but recently the entrepreneurship aspect is coming more into the light.
Starting off with Culver’s, this new food chain has become popular in the last couple of weeks since opening in December of 2025, becoming popular for its diverse menu. Beyond burgers, they offer fried fish and Wisconsin cheese curds.
“The store is great. I’m not glazing, but I wouldn’t change anything about them, they keep it professional for sure. Their food is really good, and the cheese curds are also top-tier. I like the atmosphere. They’re really nice about things, and very forgiving,” junior Ramon Mathew said.
In contrast, like any traditional story you’ve heard, there are pros and cons to a lot of things.
“People say the bread tastes like cardboard, and they say everything is fresh, but does it really taste like that, though? They also hire so many people, I don’t know how they have their hours, but it’s confusing for the amount of people that work there, “ junior Coraline Miller said.
However Culver’s isn’t the only new restaurant that’s making people talk, Morgan’s is a new locally owned restaurant that offers hand-cut steaks and a full service environment.
“The cactuses are real and they fall over on people, they need to get fake ones because they keep falling over and they’re not watering them correctly, ” customer Zoey Herron said.
A little further down the street you can find 7 brew, a new rapidly growing drive-thru-only coffee spot. It’s also not limited to coffee, they also offer espresso, energy drinks, teas, smoothies, and many other different drink combinations.
“I like 7 Brew because they have a variety of things, and they have one of the best energy drinks. I get an energy with strawberry coconut and pineapple. The only thing I would change about them I’d make them include an app. “I first went to like a week after it opened, I think that there’s just so many options. It’s a little overwhelming at times but overall it’s pretty good. I would probably rate it an 8/10, “ senior Daygan Lucas and Freshman Ava Beigel said.
Along with the already up and running businesses, Andy’s Frozen Custard is being built but is making its way towards opening in the near future.
“Andy’s so customizable, it’s definitely smoother than Freddy’s, it’s more pleasant, it’s a really good spot and I think it’d be really good here,” senior Jamison Whiteside said.