Day 1 for Chase Bank's first Wichita location has arrived.
The largest bank in the country, which in January revealed plans for its local debut, confirmed that it will open the doors Tuesday at its 21st and Rock Road branch.
Chase Bank, the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorganChase (NYSE: JPM) with around $3.4 trillion in total assets, is leasing 3,300 square feet at 2210 N. Rock Road, next to Sleep Number in a former Vitamin Shoppe space.
"We are ready to roll," said Kiley Sidman, Chase market director for consumer and community banking.
The location will offer Chase's entire range of consumer and commercial banking services — including mortgages, auto financing, small business loans and beyond — to the area.
Sidman said the branch, managed by Leah Heathcote-Osburn, has hired eight associates.
A.L. Huber General Contractor, from the Kansas City area, led the renovation of the space, which wrapped earlier this month.
Sidman said customers can expect a different look and feel compared to many other traditional bank layouts with Chase's "digital first" approach.
Chase Bank
There's an ATM in the vestibule and another in the lobby that can take care of most traditional teller tasks. When guests walk in, they will be greeted by an associate with tablet in hand, who will get the customer engaged with the right team member, she said.
"One of the most interesting things when you walk into this branch is you can't see a teller line, you can't see our transaction windows when you walk in, you're going to see digital marketing," Sidman said. "You're going to see what we call our living room. So we've got a couch, we've got some chairs, we've got a big-screen TV. And as our folks are welcoming you in, we're really looking to get to know you and bring that community feel."
The branch, which doesn't have a drive-through, has private office space for customer meetings, as well as open booth areas for client interactions that may not need to happen behind closed doors.
While the 21st and Rock location is Chase's first in the city, the bank already had a presence — outside of brick and mortar — in Wichita.
Mark Koch, with three decades of local banking experience, joined Chase last summer to help lead local commercial banking efforts.
"For commercial banking, the branch opening is a tangible commitment to the Wichita community, which strengthens our ability to provide greater value and exceptional client service to local businesses, especially as awareness of the firm’s full breadth of services and solutions spreads," he said in a statement.
Chase Bank
Koch, who served at Carson Bank prior to arriving at Chase, said the bank can work well with Wichita-area companies of all sizes, through its credit and financing, digital banking and payments solutions, treasury and merchant services and international banking.
"We also offer specialized expertise to support Wichita’s diverse industries including manufacturing, distribution, technology and health care," he said.
What else is in store for Chase Bank in Wichita
Sidman said a Derby branch, at 2101 N. Rock Road, is on track to open by the middle of the fourth quarter. Chase is renovating a former Hardee's into a 2,500 square-foot bank.
Joey Palich, who most recently served as an Emprise Bank branch manager, will be manager for Chase's Derby location.
Chase Bank — which went from zero to 20 branches in the Kansas City market in less than five years after announcing expansion plans there in 2019 — has more in store for Wichita.
The bank previously shared plans to add two to three additional Wichita locations, beyond the Derby and northeast Wichita branches, over the course of two years.
Sidman said she couldn't provide specific locations but indicated a west-side branch is most likely next. A location in the city's core and in another suburb can't be ruled out, she said.
"I would look for that (next location announcement) probably more of the beginning of 2025," she said. "We may get something out yet this year."
Chase Bank's ambitions come within a market that already includes Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank, and several longtime family-run institutions such as Intrust Bank, Fidelity Bank and Emprise Bank.
In another possible challenge, JPMorganChase created headlines earlier this month when it warned in a Wall Street Journal story that federal banking industry regulations — if enacted in current form — may lead to it charging customers for now-free services, including checking accounts. Marianne Lake, who runs Chase Bank, said in the article that she expected industry peers to follow.
But Sidman, who declined to comment on the WSJ story, said her previously-stated goal to eventually be tops in local market share remains unchanged.
"Our goal is always to be No. 1 in market share," she said. "And we will get there."
