The community of Brookville has been eagerly waiting for the reopening of Nixie's, the iconic restaurant that has been a part of the community for generations. Nixie's has been serving the Brookville community since 1939. Starting with "Nixie" Biltz, continuing on with Jerry Teufel in the 80s and 90s, and Steve "Smokey" Hounchell in the 2000s and 10s. It has now been reopened by Franklin County resident, Kurt Grimmeissen. 

The wait came to an end on Friday when Nixie's opened their doors to those who were already waiting outside at 10:30 a.m.  Within minutes the restaurant was packed with people eager to taste the famous Nixie burger once again. The aroma of the juicy burgers and the sound of sizzling patties filled the air. The community was overjoyed to have their beloved restaurant back in business, and it showed as Nixie's was packed its entire first weekend. 

Grimmeissen  was overwhelmed by the response. On Sunday, a special thank you was posted to Nixie's Facebook page.

"As we are winding down on our first weekend, we want to thank the community for coming out," the post read.  "I’m blown away by your support. The feedback we have received so far has been great to help us continue to hone our skills, and make the previous owners proud. We will continue to do our best to make delicious food, and have a clean and inviting place."

The authentic, yet polished interior and delicious food is by no accident. It is a project that has been in the making for a couple years. Grimmeissen shared what a true labor of love this restaurant really is. 

“When I took on this project a couple years ago, I had a lot of irons in the fire, so I wasn't able to put my full time and attention into it.  But I slowly plugged away at it.  Well here we are, I can finally say that we are ready to bring Nixie's Burgers back to the Brookville community.  

“Bringing it back, I knew that I wanted to put my own spin on it, yet keep the main things that Nixie's is known for...a friendly atmosphere with amazing FRESH burgers.  We have partnered with Brookville Butcher to bring you fresh hamburgers every day, just the way Smokey, Jerry, and Nixie did it for the past 85 years."

Tributes to the owners and Nixie's memorabilia such as the poker table that once resided in the back room, now restored, can be found placed throughout the restaurant, giving it the perfect touch of nostalgia. Many stories can be told about the card games that happened in the back room, and many recall when there was a time when it was known women didn't frequent the establishment.

Not only was Nixie's packed moments after opening, but the online praise was filling up Facebook news feeds just as quickly. 

“The goods are secured! The food is amazing! That Nixie burger though." 

"We order online and got a notification when it was ready to pick up. Great service. So good!!!"

"Did u notice the bar? How it has the lake mapped out on it?  Amazing."

It was amazing how the reopening of Nixie's brought the community together as they savored the  burgers as well as the memories and felt a familiar sense of belonging.

Other than the famous burgers and hand cut fries, there is a wide variety of other items to choose from like a ribeye or fish sandwich. To view the full menu or to place an order online, visit www.nixiesburgers.com

Nixie's is located at 563 Main Street, Brookville and is open Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday is open 10:30 a.m. through 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.