BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – Plyler’s Buffet and Family Restaurant in Brookville reopened its doors to the public on Wednesday, February 12.

The new owners — Mike and Abby (Furlong) Kaltenbach — had been working on the purchase of the Brookville landmark since September of 2019, and at one point, there was uncertainty whether the doors would reopen following the restaurant’s closure on January 26.

However, the sale was finalized, and on Wednesday, the dining room was full through the lunch hour. Patrons found a familiar atmosphere and a few changes. While the building was closed, they did some major cleaning.

Patrons will also notice a more simplistic dining area.

During a lull between lunch and dinner, Abby sat down with exploreClarion.com to share the couple’s vision for the future, as customers stopped by the table to tell her how happy they are to see the restaurant open for business.

“There are some people who come here every day,” Abby said.

Although they had been living in Florida for the past 11 years, the Kaltenbachs have roots in the area. Mike is a graduate of North Clarion High School, and Abby graduated from Clarion-Limestone High School.

The restaurant consists of a bakery, a dining area, a buffet room, a salad bar, and a banquet room in the back that can host meetings and celebrations, such as baby showers and wedding receptions.

Plyler’s regulars will still find their favorite menu items, although there have been some revisions.

“The pizza is not changing,” Abby said, adding that the bakery will remain the same, as well.

“We have the same baker, so the pies will be the same.”

Mike, who plans to be doing a large amount of the cooking, briefly stepped out of the kitchen to explain that they will be working with local suppliers for fresh ingredients.

“I just want to see better quality,” Mike explained.

“Basically, my husband’s main goal was to improve on quality,” Abby added. “He likes to make things from scratch. He doesn’t like to buy a lot of pre-made food.”

Originally, the couple considered eliminating some of Plyler’s offerings, but as they saw how everything worked together, they changed their minds.

By 2:00 p.m., only one pie and a few cream puffs remained in the bakery display case.

“I want to keep the bakery and the pizza and build on that,” Mike said.

Patrons of Plyler’s can count on seeing familiar faces as most of the staff have stayed to work under the new owners.

As with any new purchase, the new owners will continue to work their way through a list of repairs the restaurant building will need.

“Just before we took over, the heating and air conditioning went out. We have some major repairs and minor repairs. We have a to-do list, and we just need to work our way through it,” Abby said.

Plyler’s also has a take-out window where customers who call ahead can pick up their orders.

“If you order ahead, you just ring the doorbell, and we bring you your food,” Abby explained.

The couple envisions adding weekly specials. For example, one day of the week may feature Mexican food on the buffet, while another day may feature Italian. Plans are still in the works.

Mike and Abby have two boys, ages eight and 13. They look forward to being part of the community.

“We’re excited. We moved from Florida and brought our kids here. We look forward to becoming involved with the community, the schools, and school sports,” Abby said.