July 31, 2025

Taco John’s has opened its first location in Tea.

The fast-food restaurant is in a strip mall on the northwest corner of the Interstate 29 exit. It offers seating for about 50 and a double lane drive-thru.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekend. Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m. The address is 106 Venture Place.

It’s the 19th location for the franchise group.

“Taco John’s is great. It’s a Midwest favorite,” said Kevin Tupy, CEO of Cresten Capital and developer of the building.

“It’s got excellent visibility and thriving traffic from a mix of uses. People are really loving the fact that it’s so close to south Sioux Falls. The demographic within a 3-mile radius is strong.”

The new building will include Anytime Fitness, which Tupy franchises. It will take about 6,000 square feet, and the plan is to open in October.

“This is an alternative to give people (in Tea) choices,” he said. “We offer different types of programs with reciprocity, so you can utilize any Anytime Fitness gym, and there are over 5,000 globally including five in Sioux Falls, one in Tea and one in Brandon.”

The Bakker Landing development has filled in with retail, including Starbucks, Legacy Med Spa and Down Home by DeBoers.

There’s an approximately 2,000-square-foot end cap still available to lease in the Taco John’s building.

“Taco John’s is a great addition. You have the morning crowd there with Starbucks, the lunch crowd with Taco John’s — although they also do a fantastic breakfast burrito — and there are so many new businesses in that area and more coming,” Tupy said. “When 85th Street goes through, that will be a complete game-changer not to mention when Highway 100 (Veterans Parkway) connects.”

With the opening last week, the first Taco John’s in Sioux Falls has closed, and staff members were given the opportunity to move to the new location.

The restaurant at 1420 W. 41st St. opened in 1971 and later was expanded to include a dining room.

The building was listed for sale and is under contract. The deal is expected to close Aug. 8, and the building will become a locally owned restaurant, said Gregg Brown of NAI Sioux Falls who represents the buyer.