Bistro and market now open in former bank building in the Kansas City area
The new bistro and market Prima Facie was at its outset a fairly modest concept.
Leon Versfeld, a local immigration attorney, was keen to relocate his Country Club Plaza office. A Parkville resident, he checked out what was available near that quiet river town’s downtown district and learned the former Bank Liberty, 12 E. First St., was up for sale.
The old bank had a drive-thru window. Versfeld’s wife, Heather, suggested they could open a drive-thru market for coffee, sandwiches and pastries alongside the law office.
“And then my husband took that seed I planted and came back a couple days later with this idea to turn the entire first floor space into a restaurant and build a second floor on top for his law office,” Heather Versfeld said. “I said, ‘I don’t think so. You’re an attorney. I’m a flight attendant.’ But he had a vision. And he was right.”
After a $3.5 million redevelopment of the building, Prima Facie — it’s a Latin legal term that means “on first appearance” — is now open.
The market, which debuted in September, has seating both inside and on the patio just off the drive-thru lane, and keeps hours from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On the menu: coffee, breakfast sandwiches, muffins, scones, smoothies, salads, soup and fresh meat sandwiches for lunch.
“It’s a fairly small menu, but we tried to pack a lot of variety in it,” Heather said.
The bistro, which is on the south side of the building, opened in late October. The Versfelds teamed up with the catering and consulting group PB&J Restaurants Inc. to develop the menu, design the kitchen and staff the restaurant. James McBride, who previously worked in restaurants in Wichita, is serving as executive chef.
The space seats about 150, including private dining spaces in a former bank vault and a mezzanine level that’s available for private parties and corporate outings.
“I describe it as a mix of fine dining and fun dining,” Heather said. “We want people to feel comfortable coming in when they’re out running errands on a weekday but also for birthday parties when they’re wearing heels and a dress.”
The bistro menu includes small plates like crab cakes ($20), steak tartare ($18) and a meatball pomodoro ($12); sandwiches like a burrata chicken club ($16) and a ham and cheddar with balsamic jam ($13); pastas like girasoli ravioli ($18) and lobster gemelli ($32); and entrees like trout almondine ($29), roasted salmon ($32) and a free-range pan-roasted chicken ($26).
Select items like the crab cakes and steak tartare are half-off during happy hour, which is 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Hours at the bistro for now are 3 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 3 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
