Downtown pizzeria will reopen thanks to new investor
April 24, 2020
An investor who has never tried the wood-fired pizza at Books n Brewz Pizzeria is helping owner Angela Kull reopen the business.
“I didn’t expect anything like that was possible,” said Kull, who will return to making pizzas May 1 in the historic building at Eighth Street and Weber Avenue.
The investor, who “doesn’t really want his name out there yet,” Kull said, read a SiouxFalls.Business article that the business was closing April 3.
He stopped by Books n Brewz that day and presented his idea, but Kull was busy getting ready for the final night of pizza sales, and they agreed to talk the following Monday, she said.
“I was sure that would be the end of everything, and then that last day I was unsure. … It has been a roller coaster.”
Kull said the investor was unaware of the combination bookstore, bar and pizzeria that she had opened in late April 2019 in the former Fernson Brewing Co. taproom and Breadico retail space. After reading the article, he researched the business’ online reviews and was impressed by all the positive comments, Kull said.
He’s planning to let her run the day-to-day operations of the business, but “it will be more of a team approach,” she said of the overall strategy, including help with marketing.
When it reopens May 1, “we’ll start with curbside pickup and delivery-only until stuff clears up a bit more,” said Kull, whose boyfriend Travis Graham helps with the business. “We’ll do extra cleaning – we’ve always had gloves – and then masks. We’ll make it extra safe until we can open again.”
They will do all deliveries in-house to ensure an extra level of safety, said Kull, whose background is in nursing.
Hours likely will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Books n Brewz Pizzeria went out on a First Friday with a Facebook live concert from its closed stage, and that’s how it will reopen, Kull said.
Victor Faini, Dan Haygood and Witt Hdykitt will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. May 1 and possibly longer if enough viewers are watching, she said.
