Antoine Toubia Scholarship Fund

Antoine Toubia was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1949 and came to Wichita, Kan., in 1973 as chef at Crestview Country Club. In 1979, with the help of his siblings and with $400 in capital, he established The Olive Tree in Wichita, Kan., his first restaurant, and introduced the city to the concept of fine dining. Mr. Toubia, who built his restaurant’s reputation on superb customer service and quality ingredients, treated his employees like family. He went on to build a multitude of food businesses and trained many of today’s local restaurant owners. Mr. Toubia did not mind the competition from his former students, because he just wanted to see them succeed. He was known as a risk-taker with a fire in his belly and compassion in his heart. Mr. Toubia, who died in 1996, was a remarkable teacher who left a lasting mark on so many. The Antoine Toubia Scholarship Fund was established in his memory in 2009.