Boss’ Pizza to buy Tea Steak House, turn it into sports bar
Nov. 10, 2021
Boss’ Pizza & Chicken is buying the Tea Steak House from its retiring owners and planning to turn it into a pizzeria and sports bar with a focus on Tea Area High School athletics.
Boss’ owner Jeremy Seefeldt said the new name will be Boss’ Pizzeria & Sports Bar, and it will be similar to the concept that’s in the Ramada hotel in Sioux Falls near the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
He has been scouting Sioux Falls neighborhoods to expand the sports bar, but “I found this place was open, and being in a town of 7,000 people with enthusiastic sports fans, I knew this place would be perfect for the concept for the sports pizzeria we’re trying.”
The final day for the Tea Steak House will be Nov. 20, Seefeldt said. New flooring and other remodeling will take a few weeks, but he’s opening to be open by Dec. 10. “We’re hoping to get done in three weeks, but I’ve been wrong before.”
In addition to pizza, broasted chicken and Boss’ new sandwiches, the menu will include burgers.
“We’ll also have mashed potatoes and gravy at the Tea location for people who are used to having steakhouse and comfort food.”
While steaks will be gone from the sports bar menu, they’ll still be available for catered gatherings at the Tea Events Center, which is included in the sale.
“We’ll do that catering, so we will do prime rib or steaks, whatever people want there.”
The sale also includes O’Toole’s Bar, which is attached to the steakhouse, and Seefeldt said that name won’t change.
He’s planning to remove the booths and turn that space into the video lottery casino area.
“It will be a private casino that they haven’t had before. Some machines were there, and some were in the lounge area (of the restaurant).”
He’ll keep some TVs in the casino area and will add four “really big-screen TVs” and nine smaller ones in the sports bar. There will be six ticker ribbons on the wall that will display info about Tea Area sports. The sports bar feel will be enhanced with the addition of high-top tables and decor such as Tea Area team jerseys and items from college teams in the area. And while local sports will be the focus, Boss’ will have national streaming services.
Boss’ Pizzeria & Sports Bar will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, and delivery in Tea will be available until closing time, Seefeldt said.
He’s considering opening at 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays to serve breakfast.
“The steakhouse was one of the only places open for breakfast,” he said. “They didn’t get that many during the week, but they did on Saturdays.”
The sports bar in the Ramada also serves breakfast.
Seefeldt started the business in 2005, and Tea will be the ninth location that he owns. No. 10 is coming in Fargo. He bought a building there at the beginning of the year and is the midst of a major remodeling project. There is a franchised location in Lincoln, Neb., and Seefeldt recently completed legal work to begin officially franchising Boss’ Pizza and Chicken.
He’s looking forward to serving Tea.
“I hope that we can meet the expectations of what they’re hoping for in a locally based sports bar and pizza place. We’re really looking forward to being there. We think the concept works perfectly in a place like Tea.”
