Merritt Brunies led this orchestra at the Friars Inn at 1834 Wasbash Street at Van Buren in Chicago. They got the gig after Merritt's brother George Brunies' band the Friar's Society Orchestra vacated the job in 1924. Merritt's band stayed on at the Friar's Inn for three years before leaving for the Cinderella Ballroom. The Brunies family produced several jazz musicians. Henry Brunies played trombone in the Friars Inn Orchestra and another of the Brunies brothers, Abbie was the leader of the Halfway House Orchestra back home in New Orleans.