Penny's In the Village

Penny’s In the Village is a chef-driven Thai street-food restaurant in The Shops of Prairie Village, opened in January 2025 by Wan Phen “Penny” Mufuka and her husband Doug Mufuka — the local restaurateur couple behind Bamboo Penny’s, KC Thai, and other area Thai concepts.

Description

Penny’s In the Village is a Thai street-food restaurant located in The Shops of Prairie Village shopping center in Prairie Village, Kansas. The restaurant frames itself as a chef-driven concept built around the cooking of Thai-born chef Penny Mufuka, translating traditional flavors from the Thai countryside and the street-food stalls of Bangkok into a contemporary sit-down format.

The menu emphasizes authentic Thai dishes and shared plates, with reported signature items including barbecue sticky-rice rolls, crispy pork belly in Thai basil sauce, spring rolls, and Thai calamari. The owners describe the venue as a community gathering place, framing the concept around “showcasing original Thai food, the soul of Thailand.”

The restaurant is one of several Thai concepts operated by the Mufukas across the Kansas City metro, and the “In the Village” name refers to its location in Prairie Village rather than a separate village district.

Ownership and history

Penny’s In the Village is owned by Wan Phen “Penny” Mufuka and her husband Doug Mufuka. Penny immigrated from Thailand in 1994 and worked her way up from busing tables to chef at area restaurants before opening her own establishments; she and Doug married in 2013. The couple previously opened Thai House in south Kansas City (since sold, reported sold in 2022) and operate or have operated a cluster of metro Thai-and-fusion concepts including Bamboo Penny’s (Park Place, Leawood), KC Thai (Overland Park), Aqua Penny’s (seafood/oyster bar), and Str-Eatz (a taco-focused cafe).

Penny’s In the Village opened to the public over the weekend of January 17, 2025, in the former-retail space at The Shops of Prairie Village.

Tier classification

Tier 1. Penny’s In the Village is an owner-operated, locally owned restaurant run by a hands-on chef-owner (Penny Mufuka) and her spouse, who have built a metro-rooted family group of Thai restaurants over more than a decade. The concept is personal, chef-driven, and independent — no franchise or chain affiliation — reflecting the pride-and-dedication-to-local-roots Tier 1 measures.

Links

• Website: https://pennysinthevillage.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennysinthevillage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Pennys-in-the-Village-61567161704916/

See also

• overland-park
• Registry
• bamboo-pennys
• kc-thai

Sources

1. Johnson County Post — “Bamboo Penny’s owners opening new Thai eatery in Prairie Village” (2024-05-02) — https://johnsoncountypost.com/2024/05/02/pennys-prairie-village-233002/ — accessed 2026-05-30 (owners Penny + Doug Mufuka, immigration/background, sister restaurants)
2. Kansas City Magazine — “Penny’s, A Thai Street Food Restaurant, Is Now Open In Prairie Village” — https://kansascitymag.com/pennys-a-thai-street-food-restaurant-is-now-open-in-prairie-village/ — accessed 2026-05-30 (address, January 2025 opening, concept, menu items, owner bios, sister concepts)
3. Penny’s In the Village — official site — https://pennysinthevillage.com/ — accessed 2026-05-30 (address, phone, chef-driven Thai street-food positioning, social links)
4. The Shops of Prairie Village directory — https://shopsofprairievillage.com/store/penny-s-in-the-village — accessed 2026-05-30 (location confirmation)

Verification

Drafted 2026-05-30 from web research; 4 sources. Address corrected from base data (base listed an Overland Park / Village at Park Place address that belongs to sister restaurant Bamboo Penny’s); Prairie Village location confirmed by three independent sources. Thai House sale date and current status of sister concepts (Aqua Penny’s, Str-Eatz) flagged provisional. Social links (Instagram, Facebook) confirmed.