The interior of Merchants Pub & Plate is pictured in this file photo.

UPDATED 1:25 P.M. SEPT. 27

The longtime downtown Lawrence restaurant Merchants Pub & Plate has been sold to a Kansas City-based restaurant group.

Merchants co-founder and chef TK Peterson confirmed in a brief conversation this morning that W. VinZant Restaurants has purchased the large restaurant that is located in a historic former bank building at 746 Massachusetts St.

“Merchants will remain Merchants, and the entire staff will stay on,” Peterson told me in a brief interview.

He said there are no plans to change the concept, decor or other practices of the restaurant. Peterson said he and fellow co-founder Emily Peterson would both stay on at the restaurant to help with the transition of ownership. The couple plans to stay in Lawrence afterward as well, they said via a press release.

“It has been an incredible honor and labor of love to build this restaurant alongside our team, and to become part of the fabric of Downtown Lawrence,” TK and Emily said via a press release. “We are excited to have such a talented group of people leading Merchants into the future.”

Merchants recently celebrated its 11th anniversary, and has been a staple in the Lawrence dining community with its crafted menus that focus on a lot of local products prepared in a more upscale manner.

Whitney VinZant, CEO of W. VinZant Restaurants, said it was a “mutual belief in a culture of excellence” that helped cement a deal between him and the Petersons.

“Chef TK and Emily have built a wonderful team and reputation at Merchants,” VinZant said via a press release. “W. VinZant Restaurants is honored to have a hand in Merchants’ future stewardship, and will care for the team and the wonderful community in Lawrence with pride.

“Merchants has a legacy of dedication and quality, and we are excited about what it is, while having the opportunity to carefully articulate what it can be in the future.”

photo by: Mike Yoder

Mac and Cheesemonger at Merchants Pub & Plate, 746 Massachusetts St.

As for W. VinZant Restaurants, based off its website, the company is not a chain but rather a Kansas City-based company that owns several individual restaurants across the region.

Its online timeline indicates that it got its start with Louie’s Wine Dive, which serves a mix of pasta, comfort food and wine at three locations in the Kansas City area and Des Moines, Iowa.

W. VinZant Restaurants began to expand with other concepts near the beginning of the decade. In 2019, it completed two transactions, purchasing BRGR Kitchen and Taco Republic. In 2020, it launched Fresko Natural Food in downtown Des Moines. It is touted as a restaurant that partners with numerous cattle ranchers and farmers in Iowa.

Also in 2020, the group purchased Gram & Dun in the midst of the pandemic. That Country Club Plaza restaurant is upscale and serves a variety of pastas, seafood, steaks and more.

In 2021, the company launched a casual Va Bene Italian Eatery in Prairie Village that serves both Italian dishes and cocktails. In 2022, the group bought the Chicken Mary’s Restaurant in Pittsburg, Kan., which is a longtime staple of that southeastern Kansas community.

The group also owns Brew Top Pub and Patio, which has locations in Overland Park and Kansas City, Mo. Most recently W. VinZant purchased an ownership stake in the Bo Lings Chinese Restaurant located in the historic Skelly Building by the Country Club Plaza, according to various Kansas City media reports. According to those reports, the restaurant will be renamed Heritage — Asian American Fusion.

In Friday’s press release, there was no talk of changing the name or other major aspects of the restaurant. Instead, Executive Chef Nathan Desetti said the staff would continue to operate with the same culinary philosophy it has for years.

“The things you know and love about Merchants will carry on,” Desetti said via the release. “Our seasoned team will continue leading the daily operations with a commitment to local and seasonal food, warm hospitality and supporting the Lawrence community.”

In addition to its culinary tradition, the restaurant also occupies an important piece of downtown Lawrence history and architecture. The building at 746 Massachusetts Street was designed by noted architect John G. Haskell. From 1888 to 1930 it housed Merchants National Bank, which inspires the name of the restaurant. From 1930 to 1970, it housed First National Bank, which generally was regarded as Lawrence’s largest bank of the day.

But perhaps most interestingly, there is some belief the building is the site of the first-ever bank robbery by Clyde Barrow, who was the Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde. As we reported in 2011, Barrow’s partner in crime Ralph Fults wrote in his autobiography that he, Barrow and others — but not Bonnie — robbed the First National Bank early on a morning in 1932. It was Barrow’s first bank heist.

That is a piece of Lawrence history you don’t hear often about — it almost seems too interesting to be true — but Fults was questioned about it many times over the years and was insistent that he wasn’t confusing Lawrence for some other place. He also was insistent he didn’t have any reason to lie about it. I interviewed Fults’ biographer, but never met Fults. If I had, though, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have argued with him, if you know what I mean.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Merchants Pub & Plate is shown at the corner of Eighth and Massachusetts streets on Sept. 27, 2024.