Wichita’s giant new German beer hall is finally ready to open to the public

Just in time for Oktoberfest season, Wichita has access to an authentic — and cavernous — German beer hall already well known for its German beer and German food.

Tuesday is opening day for Prost — the restaurant owned by Germany native Manu English and her husband, Austin — at its new address, 134 St. Francis. The couple closed down their tiny original home of seven years in the Revolutsia shipping container mall at Central and Volutsia on Sept. 6 and spent the next two weeks furiously filling their newly renovated two-story space with furnishings and decor, both original and new.

Over the weekend, the Englishes had a test run, opening the restaurant to their Stein Club members, each of whom get a hand-crafted German stein, private stein locker and access to beer and food specials.

That went well, so on Tuesday, they’ll open the doors to the public.

Over the course of the past six months, I’ve been in the new Prost space four or five times to see the progress. The first time I visited the space — which previously had been used as a warehouse space for Grant Rine’s Architectural Salvage — it had just been cleared out and was a dusty, empty shell. I had to rely on my imagination when Austin English would point to the future kitchen space, future restrooms, future bar area.

I would return every couple of months, and each time, the Englishes had made more progress. Austin never wanted me to take photos on these visits: He wanted to save the big reveal for closer to opening day. But when I returned on Monday, he gave me and my camera permission to shoot at will.

The new restaurant sits just across the street from Nortons Brewing Company and next door to Bite Me BBQ. There’s no official sign up yet, so people who go on Tuesday will need to look for black wrought iron gates and a set of stairs that lead up into the double wooden front doors. Prost eventually will have a unique sign over the entrance, but that’s a project for later.

When they step inside, customers will find themselves surrounded by shelves stocked with imported German products like candies, cookies, noodles, crackers, condiments and seasonings. The Englishes moved their other Revolutsia business, called Ze German Markt, to the new space, too, and people will be able to peruse the shelves while they wait for a table.

Beyond the market area is the main floor dining room, which features original wood floors, wood paneling, church pew banquette and custom wooden chairs. On one side is a wall of stein lockers, brought from the old store and reinstalled for Stein Club members. In the center of the room is the restaurant’s stammtisch — a special wooden table that the Prost reserved for its Stein Club members at the old location. (Austin English said he was surprised by how much smaller the table looked in its giant new home.)

The main dining room also has one of the restaurant’s two salvaged antique wooden bars that the owners bought from Rine before he moved. There are also a few beer barrels stationed in front of the bar that people can stand around and enjoy a drink.

The most eye-catching part of the main floor dining room — which I was asked not to photograph until today— is a glowing 10-foot-tall by 8-foot-wide stained glass piece that originated in Germany and that the owners also purchased from Rine. It features an angel, which Austin English has dubbed “the beer angel.”

Prost will also have seating on the second floor. The upstairs is just as large as the main floor and is decorated with the German flags that hung on the second floor of the Revolutsia space. The wooden tables used at the old Prost restaurant are on the second floor, which also has a stage and its own bar. English said the big space will be available for rent to groups wanting to put on lunchtime lectures or private parties. He’ll also occasionally hire musicians to play on the stage.

The only part of the restaurant that won’t be ready on Tuesday is the big outdoor beer garden to the north. It was busy with workers and construction equipment on Monday, but it has to be ready for Prost’s annual Oktoberfest party, which is scheduled for Oct. 2-4.

When it’s complete, it will be surrounded by iron fencing and will feature a gravel surface and umbrella-covered tables where people can enjoy their beers.

The food menu at the new Prost is the same as it was at the original, only Manu Enligh and her staff will be much happier while preparing brats, bierocks and schnitzels: The kitchen in the new restaurant has more than double the space of the old one and is filled with new equipment.

Prost still accepts reservations, although people who want them will have to send a message via Facebook for now: The phones aren’t working just yet.

Austin English said it’s been gratifying to see the new space take shape, and the customers who visited over the weekend were full of compliments

“I know for a fact our beer is on point: We have nothing but German, authentic, brought-over beer,” he said. “My personal opinion is our food is on point. . . . And now I feel, I’ve been told and I’m confident our place is on point.”

Prost’s hours, starting Tuesday, will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

There’s free parking available behind the building, though people who park there will need to walk around the block to the front entrance for now. Once the outdoor beer garden is open, they’ll be able to enter through its gate right off the parking lot. There’s also lots of for-pay street parking in front of the restaurant.

This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 2:49 PM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.