Fernson bringing new concept to former Bros space

Jan. 9, 2019

The former Bros Brasserie Americano space downtown won’t be empty for long – or missing its signature chef.

Fernson Brewing Co. is leasing the space and plans to retain chef Ryan Tracy, who owned Bros for a decade until closing it with the new year.

“We want to put something really cool in Sioux Falls that hopefully will bring more people downtown and keep people downtown,” Fernson CEO Joel Thompson said.

“The reason we’re doing this is because we want to be more a part of this community. It’s our opportunity to really interact with Sioux Falls. It’s been really fun to be part of the growing beer scene, but a lot of times that means being a factory on the edge of town.”

The new Fernson concept doesn’t have a name yet – although Fernson will be part of it – and food won’t be the focus. It will be a taproom, “so beer is an important aspect, and we’re going to try to rotate those as much as possible but focus on just our beer,” Thompson said.

“The food piece will be fun and sharable small plates, but we’re not trying to compete with restaurants. I want that to be really clear to restaurants. They support us.”

There will be an entertainment element to the space at 12th Street and Phillips Avenue that’s hard to find downtown, Thompson said. That could involve games like shuffleboard that encourage guests to socialize.

“We want to make something that’s a reflection of Fernson as a brand, a celebration of Sioux Falls as a community and with a fun factor – a place to play games and hang out,” Thompson said. “It’s such a cornerstone of Sioux Falls as far as the location. There’s a lot of directions you can go with it, but it’s always going to be visible.”

The business likely will be open late afternoon through the evening, he said.

While a design hasn’t been finalized, there might not be much construction needed, so the new business could open in March. It hasn’t been determined what will happen with Fernson on 8th, the brewery’s downtown taproom that opened in 2016.

“We saw this as an opportunity to work with a chef who’s one of the best, if not the best, in town in a location that’s one of the best, if not the best, in town and a way to be just a part of our community,” Thompson said.

 

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Fernson bringing new concept to former Bros space

The former Bros Brasserie Americano space downtown won’t be empty for long – or missing its signature chef.

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