Two Kansas restaurants of note are making a comeback together in Abilene.
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 for different reasons. The Brookville Hotel, formerly owned by Mark Martin, closed in the fall of 2020 for economic issues brought on by the pandemic, while Munson’s Prime Steak in Junction City burned down in February 2021.
The combination of the Brookville Hotel and Munson’s Prime Steak has resulted in an expanded menu. The hotel’s famous fried chicken be making a return, joined by Munson’s signature beef dishes. Menu options include a one-half skillet fried chicken, or an eight-ounce Munson’s Premium Angus Country Fried Steak. A variety of sides such as cream-style corn, hand-peeled mashed potatoes and cream gravy, and sweet-and-sour cole slaw are among the items found on the menu.
The restaurant encountered hurdles with the reopening process, some of which are still preventing it from opening fully; staffing issues have made it difficult for the business to offer its services to all, and it's reservations-only for the time being.
Legacy Kansas is receiving calls not just from across the state, but also the wider U.S.
The Brookville Hotel, prior to its closing in October 2020, had been serving visitors for 125 years, while the Munsons have more than 150 years of ranching experience in Kansas.
The prime concern is solving the staffing issue and finding more people to help run the restaurant.