A steakhouse could be on its way to the new Comfort Suites at the Elk Vale Road exit on Interstate 90.
So says Diane Heinis, managing partner of the company that owns the $10 million, 92-room hotel. Oh, that’s set to open sometime between Aug. 1-7.
What steakhouse would you like to see headed to Exit 61?
I was scouring the Internet today, and came across this Rushmore Crossing proposed merchandising plan, on the McDonald Properties Web site. It looks relatively old, at least compared to the Katz & Associates map released this March.
The maps don’t align perfectly, but I was interested to see the restaurants that appeared to in the works to sign a letter of intent.
- Qdoba Mexican Grill
- CiCi’s Pizza Buffet (although the Katz map puts Mens Wearhouse there)
- Shari’s Restaurant
- Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery
I was particularly intrigued by the last two. I’ve never heard of them before.
Anyway, take a look and see what you think.
(Image: www.jonessign.com)
Iron Age International, a new motorcycle fabrication business, just broke ground in the Sturgis Industrial Park.
Jimmy Powell and Stephanie Martin established their company in Dickinson, Texas in 2000.
Last year they relocated their specialized high-end welding and fabrication plant to Sturgis, home of the world famous motorcycle rally.
This business has been housed in leased space until plans were finalized for their new building now under construction.
Iron Age is a major supplier to Competition Distributing and other customers. Lonnie Isam, owner of Competition Distributing, also relocated from Texas. Competition Distributing is located at 2106 Lazelle in Sturgis.
It comes with some East River flavor, and it has quietly opened in Hill City.
It’s called Stone Faces Winery, and it’s apparently an extension of Valiant Vineyards Winery, in Vermillion, run by Sherry and Eldon Nygaard.
All I’ve got is a brochure and a Web site.
The brochure mentions Stone Faces’s tasting room, bed and breakfast, private label wines and “Dakotas Best Gift Shop.”
“Stay & Play,” it says.
The winery’s number is 605-574-3600. The location is the former Country Manor Bed & Breakfast that’s been for sale for awhile.
I heard they just opened up, with a so-called soft opening.
How about that? Between this and Prairie Berry, we’ve got a mini-Wine Country a-sproutin’ up.
Just about a year after Cabela’s opened off Exit 61 on East Mall Drive, the next retail store for the area, will open for business.
Tractor Supply Company, at 3440 E. Mall Dr. , will open in early August, according to a press release from the company.
The store sells farm and ranch supplies.
It’s more growth for that area, although I haven’t heard of any new businesses planning to open nearby in quite some time.
Michele at Prairie Berry Winery passed this along to me:
Prairie Berry Winery near Hill City is doubling both the size of their Wine production area and wine-making capacity.
On June 12, three new custom-designed 10,560-gallon fermentation tanks arrived from California and were put into place by a 115 foot crane. The rest of the building expansion can be finished now that theses giants have taken their spots.
Matt Keck and Sandi Vojta, owners, say the new tanks should be operational by late July, allowing them to make larger batches of wine, with greater flexibility.
This milestone of production also celebrates 10 years of commercial winemaking for the family, who started out with 60 gallon tanks in Vojta’s father’s basement in Mobridge in 1999. The family has been making wine since 1876.
Photo caption: Stainless steel, 10,560-gallon tanks are craned into place at Prairie Berry Winery, Hill City, SD. In the background can be seen the tower at Harney Peak, the highest point East of the the Rocky Mountains.
Good for Prairie Berry!
And like I told Michelle when we spoke on the phone, I still have to get out there for the food.
Seems like I’ve been out there plenty for just the wine.
The new Sports Buzz restaurant on Mt. Rushmore Road in Rapid City is planning a quiet mid-July opening.
The restaurant’s construction was crunched into a few weeks due to the late blizzards and the cool and wet spring, said Tim Norberg of the Sports Buzz, via e-mail.
While the sports-themed restaurant’s soft opening will take place in mid-July, it should be “fully prepared, staffed and operational” by Aug. 1, Norberg told me.
The restaurant does have a Web site now.
The restaurant will include an arcade that, according to the Web site, will be a “huge arcade and game room with state of the art skill games, interactive sports games and driving simulators.”
While the site is spare on some details, there’s plenty of information about the food.
The main dishes include chicken, burgers, subs and pizzas with titles such as supreme meat and sweet and spicy chicken. The appetizers include wings, mega-nachos and cheese dip. There’s a kids menu and dessert choices that include the Chocolate Overload Torte.
The burger line-up includes the Sasquatch: One pound of meat and six slices of cheese with bacon between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Eat it all along with the side of a pound of fries and you win a t-shirt.
Writes Norberg:
We are excited to get open and feel that being a UNIQUE & LOCALLY owned and operated family food and fun facility , in a phenomenal high traffic location on Mt. Rushmore Rd.
Commenter ‘OB’ asks:
What is the building being built west of the Ranger office on Moon Meadows road?
It’s an LDS church, or Mormon church, if you’re more familiar with that term.
It’s currently under construction by Jacobsen Construction, of Salt Lake City.
Which, coincidentally, is also the home of the Mormon church.
