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Prima Facie Bistro and Market is a new independent restaurant and casual market that opened in 2024 in a beautifully renovated former bank building in Historic Downtown Parkville. Owned by Parkville residents Leon and Heather Versfeld, it combines fine-dining bistro fare with a market/drive-thru side, turning a historic structure into a vibrant community gathering place.

Description

Prima Facie Bistro and Market occupies a landmark former bank building at a key intersection in downtown Parkville. After a major $3.5 million redevelopment, the first floor now houses a fine-dining bistro on one side and a casual market with drive-thru on the other. The historic bank vault has been transformed into an intimate private dining room. The project was conceived by local couple Leon and Heather Versfeld as a way to bring new life to a historic structure while creating a versatile community destination.

Ownership and history

Parkville residents Leon Versfeld (an immigration attorney) and Heather Versfeld purchased the former Bank Liberty building in 2022. What began as a plan to relocate Leon’s law office and add a simple drive-thru market evolved into a full vision for a restaurant and market on the first floor with law offices above. After extensive renovation, Prima Facie (a Latin legal term meaning “at first sight” or “based on first impression”) opened in 2024 with the guiding philosophy of “getting it right every single time.”

Last verified: 2026-06-20 · Source: Prima Facie official site + The Pitch KC, Kansas City Magazine, and Yelp · URL(s): https://www.primaparkville.com/menu-bistro, https://www.thepitchkc.com/eat-this-now-bistro-steak-at-prima-facie/, https://kansascitymag.com/an-old-parkville-bank-has-become-its-newest-restaurant/ · Confidence: Medium

Two concepts share one kitchen: the Bistro (modern American, dinner-focused with lunch) and the casual all-day Market (breakfast, coffee, grab-and-go, drive-thru). Items below reflect 2024–2026 menus reported across sources; specific offerings rotate seasonally.

Bistro — Signature plates

  • Bistro Steak — the house take on steak frites: flat iron steak with truffle fries, basil gremolata and compound butter, served with grain mustard sauce (~$28)1
  • Filet Mignon — with mascarpone whipped potato, asparagus, bordelaise sauce and tallow maître d’ butter2
  • Trout Almondine — classic almond-finished trout entrée2

Bistro — Small plates

  • Blue lump crab cakes2
  • Steak tartare2
  • Crispy calamari frito3
  • Ahi tuna poke — sweet and savory3
  • Whipped feta dip — with pistachio and olives, served with crostini2
  • Lobster roll2
  • Meatball Pomodoro · Deviled eggs2

Bistro — Lunch

  • Salmon Niçoise · Pappardelle Bolognese · Chicken Club · Mediterranean Salad · Caesar Salad · Chef’s daily soup / chicken noodle3

The Market — Breakfast & all-day café

  • Egg & cheddar muffin · Breakfast burrito · Quiche Lorraine4
  • Chicken salad croissant — with apples and dried cranberries on a fresh-baked croissant4
  • Roasted turkey sandwich — apricot preserves, peppadew pepper and brie on ciabatta4
  • House pastries — croissants, muffins, scones4
  • Soups of the day — e.g. cream of mushroom, French onion, carrot curry4

Drinks

  • Coffee, tea, boba, smoothies, kombucha and seasonal refreshers (e.g. Blueberry Palmer, blood orange basil) on the Market side4
  • Cocktails on the Bistro side, e.g. the Fizzy Rosé — grapefruit rose vodka, St-Germain, rose syrup, prosecco and orange (~$8)1

Sources

Disputes

(None recorded.)

Footnotes

  1. The Pitch — “Eat This Now: Bistro Steak at Prima Facie.” https://www.thepitchkc.com/eat-this-now-bistro-steak-at-prima-facie/ — asserts: Bistro Steak ($28) = steak frites w/ crispy fries, compound butter, basil gremolata, grain mustard sauce; Fizzy Rosé cocktail ($8) w/ grapefruit rose vodka, St-Germain, rose syrup, prosecco, orange. (Prices reported by single source; flagged for re-verification against current menu.) ↩ ↩2

  2. Prima Facie — official Bistro menu, primaparkville.com. https://www.primaparkville.com/menu-bistro — asserts (via cited press): filet mignon w/ mascarpone whipped potato, asparagus, bordelaise, tallow maître d’ butter; trout almondine; blue lump crab cakes; steak tartare; whipped feta w/ pistachio & olives + crostini; lobster roll; meatball Pomodoro; deviled eggs. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. IN Kansas City Magazine — “Reservation for One: Prima Facie Bistro and Market.” https://www.inkansascity.com/eat-drink/restaurants/reservation-for-one-prima-facie-bistro-and-market/ — asserts: small plates incl. crispy calamari frito and ahi tuna poke; lunch incl. Salmon Niçoise, Pappardelle Bolognese, Chicken Club, Mediterranean Salad, Caesar Salad, chef’s daily soup. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Prima Facie / Kansas City Magazine + Yelp (The Market @ Prima Facie). https://kansascitymag.com/an-old-parkville-bank-has-become-its-newest-restaurant/; https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-market-prima-facie-parkville — asserts: Market = egg & cheddar muffin, breakfast burrito, quiche Lorraine, chicken salad croissant, roasted turkey/brie/apricot ciabatta, house pastries (croissants/muffins/scones), soups of the day; coffee/tea/boba/smoothies/kombucha + refreshers (Blueberry Palmer, blood orange basil); drive-thru, 7a–5p. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

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On the record — ks.city/registry/prima-facie-bistro-and-market · record updated 2026-06-23