Owner of Little Russia Chili Parlor clears up mystery and invites new customers

Months after a social media post from the Little Russia Chili Parlor said the restaurant would temporarily close and reopen under new ownership, the owner is speaking out.

Owner Casey Mclenon said he still owns the restaurant, which he purchased in June 2022 to keep the spirit of Porubsky's alive.

"We were going to looking at changing some things, changing some ownership things," Mclenon said, "but nothing's changed at this point."

Little Russia Chili Parlor owner encourages more customers to visit

The property was purchased in June 2022. The building was the site of the iconic Porubsky's in North Topeka's Little Russia community. Porubsky's was open for 75 years.

As Little Russia Chili Parlor, the restaurant features chili, deli sandwiches, hot pickles, a bar and more.

"We're open to groups coming in and reserving the bar area," said Mclenon, adding that reservation hours can go past normal business hours if needed.

He said he encourages everyone to come in and try the restaurant out because: "We did want to honor the same kind of corner neighborhood deli that people can come to. We just wanted to keep kind of the history of this place going."

Some classic menu items from the former Porubsky menu remain, but most are new, Mclenon said.

Daily lunch specials are offered for $12 with meat options including Polish sausage, Club Melt, grilled bologna, Hawaiian hamburger, Italian sub and more, as well as side and soda of your choice.

Tamales have also been incorporated into the menu and are sold every Friday.

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What are the business hours for the Little Russia Chili Parlor?

The Little Russia Chili Parlor is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday.

Mclenon said he appreciates the customers and his employees in the two years of business because they're what keeps the restaurant going.

"The challenges are just letting people know we exist still," Mclenon said. "We're really happy, the food is excellent, and the value is really good."

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Owner of Little Russia Chili Parlor clears up mystery and invites new customers