A little peek into Wichita German restaurant Prost’s new downtown space
Back in April, the owners of Wichita German restaurant Prost shared that they were planning to move their 7-year-old business from Revolutsia, the shipping container mall at Central and Volutsia, to a historic building at 134 St. Francis, right across the street from Nortons Brewing Company.
At the time, co-owner Austin English said that he hoped the new Prost would be ready to go sometime in June.
But as frequently happens with major renovations, crews encountered some unexpected delays. Now,
English is thinking the new Prost should be ready to go in mid-July.
On Wednesday, English invited me in for a tour of the two-story space inside a brick building that went up in the early 1900s and has been home over the years to a candy company, a leather store, even a fencing club.
Though the building, which sits directly north of Bite Me BBQ, looks the same from the outside as it has since Grant Rine’s Architectural Salvage vacated it two years ago, the interior remodel is speeding along.
Though English asked that I only share snippets of interior details for now — he wants people to be wowed by the finished product — I can report that the downstairs section of the space now has dark wooden booth backs built into the south wall, complete with accent lighting along the top. Nearby sits an example of a long church pew-like bench that will serve as seating along that wall.
The downstairs also has functioning, antique-like light fixtures installed along the exposed wood ceiling as well as completed framing for its restrooms. A massive antique bar that the Englishes purchased from Rine is in two parts, ready to be assembled, and ornate antique gates that will be incorporated into the front entrance are leaning against a wall.
.jpg "IMG_6336 (1).jpg")
The massive upstairs section, where the Englishes plan to build an authentic “bier halle,” has original wood floors that have just been sanded down plus light fixtures matching those downstairs installed on the ceiling. A stage has been added on the west-facing side of the space, and many more antique accent pieces are pushed against walls, awaiting installation.
Construction should now continue pretty quickly, said English, who is excited about lots of special touches he’s planning for the restaurant, including a 10-foot-tall by 8-foot-wide stained glass “beer angel” on the main floor (also salvaged by and purchased from Rine), and a dramatic stone lion that will watch over the outdoor beer garden on the north side of the building.
.jpg "IMG_6338 (1).jpg")
The Englishes plan to keep the original Prost operating as normal at Revolutisa until they’re ready to open the new place. When it’s ready, Austin and Manu English’s son and Prost’s kitchen manager A.J. English says he plans to add more German dishes to the menu.
Austin English said he’s unsure if the big outdoor beer garden will be ready when the inside is complete. If it isn’t, crews will continue working on it while people enjoy the renovated interior.
Fans of Prost have been expressing their excitement about the new space to the Englishes ever since the announcement, Austin English said. The No. 1 thing he’s asked is, “When will you open?”
“It’s too late to back out,” he said with a laugh. “We’re in neck deep.”
Austin English and his wife, Manu, who grew up in Germany, got their culinary start in Wichita with a food truck called Let’m Eat Brats, which first opened in 2013. The couple gained a following and decided to open their stationary restaurant in the new shipping container mall five years later. In addition to authentic German beers, Prost also serves German specialties like bratwurst, schnitzel and bierocks.
I’ll let you know when the Englishes settle on a firm opening date.
This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM.
.jpg)