Aug. 22, 2024

Casa del Rey is coming back.

The Mexican restaurant, which had served Sioux Falls since 1980, closed at the end of July.

Right as owner Cory O’Brien announced that he was ready to step away from the business, longtime restaurant owner Janet Eining and her family reached out with interest.

“It’s been a Sioux Falls staple and part of the Sioux Falls community for over 35 years, and you just hate to see stuff like that close,” her son, Tate Eining, said.

“Myself and my sister, Kibbi McCormick, that owns Josiah’s, we were all thinking about it, and then Janet sent a text out: ‘We need to buy Casa del Rey.’ And we said we were all thinking the same thing. Janet being Janet kind of spearheaded it.”

And she moved fast. The plan is to reopen the restaurant at 901 W. Russell St. by mid-September.

Janet Eining, who co-founded the local franchise for The Original Pancake House, will co-own it with her son and daughter and her sister, Beth Cogley, who also manages The Original Pancake House.

“So there’s a very, very strong restaurant background taking over,” Tate Eining said. “And we’re going to keep Casa del Rey what Casa del Rey is because that’s what it needs to be, but we’re going to give it our own special touch that we’re known for.”

In the meantime, former employees now are working at The Original Pancake House and Josiah’s as they make plans to return to Casa del Rey.

Former owner O’Brien “is going to stay on and help train the kitchen staff, and we’re going to beef up the staff a lot,” Eining said. “We’re going to make sure everyone has the support they need, no different than if you go to Original Pancake House or Josiah’s. We have plenty of staff at these places to make sure people don’t get overwhelmed.”

He and his sister grew up frequenting Casa del Rey, so there’s plenty of nostalgia too, he added.

“Casa del Rey is a staple of Sioux Falls, and you don’t ever want to see those things go away,” Eining said. “I think people will be excited.”

So does Scott Blount, the broker who represented the buyers.

“When Janet saw that Casa del Rey was closing, she’s always admired the restaurant, she’s admired the way it’s been run over the years, and she felt that could provide a connection and keep the restaurant open,” said Blount of Lloyd Cos.

“It meant a lot to her. And Janet has gone out of her way to accommodate the employees affected by the closure to ensure they will be there when she wants to open it back up. She envisions this being a much smoother opening because you have employees who just shut it down ready to open it back up.”

The new owners will be adding new TVs in the bar “to get the sports crowd back in there,” Eining said. Lunch and dinner will be back, and eventually the plan is to return the restaurant’s popular Sunday brunch.

“This brunch has been legendary. Everyone I’ve talked to, the first thing out of their mouth is ‘Are you bringing back Sunday brunch?’ And I have to say yes, I think we will bring Sunday brunch back, but it might not be the first couple months,” Eining said. “We want to get everything open and running smoothly because brunch is very labor-intensive.”

The building drew good interest in a short period of time, said Ryan Tysdal of Van Buskirk Cos., who has the property listed for sale.

“Anytime you have a freestanding building that’s already built out for a restaurant, it’s a desirable property,” Tysdal said. “Add in the fact that the sale includes a full liquor license, that’s a great opportunity for a buyer.”

The building was not on the market long, he said.

“Scott (Blount) brought Janet’s offer the day the property hit the market,” Tysdal added. “Janet definitely knew time was of the essence, and she beat out several other potential buyers by moving so quickly.”