By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A new restaurant might open in Marion’s old Pizza Hut at US-56 and Eisenhower Dr. three years after the chain shut down.

Lincolnville feedlot owner Mike Beneke purchased the building in May for $24,000 cash. He said at the time he hoped to find a buyer who would put a restaurant there.

Instead of reselling the building, he’s collaborating with Marion resident Kim Young to equip, open, and operate a restaurant.

Both believe the quality of food the restaurant will serve and the building’s location on the highway will be keys to success.

“I think I’ve got the right person who wants it to succeed,” Beneke said.

The inside of the building needed a lot of cleaning, especially after sitting empty so long, Beneke said.

“It was pretty bad,” Young said. “We had to clean from the walls on down to the carpets.”

A range, a garbage disposer, dishes, silverware, and cooking utensils need to be purchased.

She is taking the lead on finding the needed items.

The range hood, sinks, tables, chairs, and booths are still there, Young said. So are the walk-in freezer and cooler.

Planned is a family-style, sit-down restaurant with home-style cooking, comfort food, and American food on the menu, Young said.

Beneke said the restaurant would be open six or seven days a week.

“Hopefully it’s something good for our community,” Beneke said. “Like the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ — build it and they’ll come.”

He even plans to name the place after a dog he used to have.

“I think it’s going to be called ‘Edward’s,” he said.

Beneke is still looking for additional funding because he doesn’t want to spend his farming operation money getting the restaurant open.

He said he is looking at options including South Central Kansas Economic Development District funding and perhaps a microloan from the county.

“Something we’d hoped to do is possibly have people make $50 to $200 donations and they would get half of that back in meals once we’re open,” Beneke said.

He also said he’s not looking to make personal profit on the restaurant.

“I don’t expect it to make me a nickel back,” he said.

Young also predicts the restaurant will be a success.

“I have every confidence in the world that it will succeed, and succeed beyond the image I have in my head already,” Young said.