European-inspired businesses open in downtown Jones421 marketplace
April 16, 2018
Mediterranean street food, gelato and a flower shop similar to what you’d find in Europe are among the new offerings at Jones421, the downtown condo building with a growing marketplace on its first floor.
Bella Rosa, owned by the mother-daughter team of Ann Summa and Leigh McCoy, is open and selling flowers and other home decor.
“Someone once told us the flowers were like someone went through a field and picked them up and they were arranged beautifully, so it’s sort of a loose garden look,” McCoy said. “We like to use not your typical everyday floral, not something you’d see everywhere. We like to throw in something special, and we’re always experimenting with color. Color is very important to us.”
They have kept many features of the historic Jones building, including exposed walls, and converted part to a meeting room for clients.
As weather allows, they plan to open their door to Phillips Avenue and sell flowers out of buckets similar to stores in Europe.
They are part of the Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. retail incubator program and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. until 7:30 or 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The store first opened a pop-up shop in the building for Valentine’s Day and has found a lot of support from other businesses, Summa said.
“It’s definitely a community we’re excited to be part of,” Summa said. “We’re excited about the growth of the area. We think that’s just going to continue to be part of our story.”
Borjan Jaksic is leasing two spaces in the building. Boki Gelato is near the entrance and is a second location for Jaksic, who began at The Empire Mall several years ago. The mix of gelato will be similar, but he plans to add waffles, layered parfaits and affogato, an Italian coffee-based dessert.
“It will be a really unique European experience,” he said.
His other space, Boki European Street Food, will offer customized gyros with beef, lamb, chicken or pork, falafel, rice, vegetables and salads as well as juices.
Both business will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the potential for later hours Friday and Saturday during the summer.
The marketplace “is fantastic,” he said. “It’s really unique where businesses are working together, especially with the outdoor patio. It’s a great space to share and a unique thing for Sioux Falls.”
Other businesses in Jones421 include Lavender Skies, which offer massage and wellness services, Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen, The Source Roastery & Taproom, and Game Chest, which already has outgrown its initial space and is moving to a different part of the building.
Co-owner Amanda Wermers “had no idea” the business would take off so fast, she said.
“The biggest surprise is hitting second-year goals in our third month. And we doubled that in our fourth month,” she said.
Their new space will offer double the retail space and a storage room.
New summer hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
A grand opening for all of the new businesses, featuring live music, is scheduled for April 28.
