ABILENE (KSNT) – Two restaurants, one lost to fire and the other to the COVID-19 pandemic, are making a comeback together.
The Brookville Hotel has officially reopened – following its purchase by Deana and Chuck Munson- under the name Legacy Kansas Munson’s Prime & Brookville Hotel. The new name signals the union of two nationally-recognized restaurants which both closed recently for different reasons. The Brookville Hotel, formerly owned by Mark Martin, closed on Oct. 1, 2020, due to economic issues brought on by the pandemic while Munson’s Prime Steak in Junction City burned down on Feb. 24, 2021.
The combination of the Brookville Hotel and Munson’s Prime Steak has resulted in an expanded menu. Not only will the hotel’s famous fried chicken be making a return, but it will be joined by Munson’s signature beef dishes. Menu options currently include one-half skillet fried chicken or an 8oz Munson’s Premium Angus Country Fried Steak. A variety of sides such as cream-style corn, hand-peeled mashed potatoes and cream gravy, sweet and sour Cole slaw and more can also be found on the menu.
The restaurant endured many hurdles with the reopening process, some of which are still preventing it from opening its doors fully, according to Julie Roller-Weeks, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau Director. Staffing issues have made it difficult for the business to offer its services to all and have made it reservation-only for the time being.
“There’s just so much interest, we get phone calls every day from people wanting to go,” Roller-Weeks said. “By taking reservations only, that’s one way that they can regulate the floodgates.”
Legacy Kansas is receiving calls not just from across Kansas, but also the wider U.S. This is due to the many “fond memories” that people have of the hotel, according to Roller-Weeks.
“Many people are frustrated because they keep getting a busy signal,” said Deana Munson. “We’re literally booked days out. Obviously, there is total excitement for the combination of these two restaurants and especially with people that have eaten at both.”
The name Legacy Kansas is fitting as the Brookville Hotel, prior to its closing in October 2020 had been serving visitors for 125 years while the Munsons have over 150 years of ranching experience in Kansas. Deana told 27 News that her family wanted to bring these two big names together.
“When our restaurant burned we had no desire to reopen it,” Deana Munson said. “We thought, ‘well if we put the two together, then we could continue the legacy. Put it all together under one roof.'”
Deana said that their first concern is solving the staffing issue and finding more people to help them run the restaurant. While no application service can be found online, people are encouraged to apply in person at the restaurant or ask for the application to be sent to them by mail.
New additions to the restaurant are expected to come later on for the “Munson side,” according to Deana. Homemade ice cream, which is currently being brought in from another location in Kansas, will be added in to the restaurant proper in time.
To set up a reservation, call 785-200-3973 from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Their regular business hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday they are open from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday they are closed; and Sundays they are open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Dine-in costs are $23 per person with children six and under eating free. Carry-out is $22 per meal. For more information, check out their website by clicking here.