April 5, 2024

A locally owned gourmet soda shop is opening a second location – this one in southwest Sioux Falls.

SoDak Soda is taking over the former Stensland Family Farms space in the shared location at 41st Street and Sertoma Avenue with Flyboy Donuts.

“It was hard to say no to something that was a perfect fit for us,” said Katy Rees, who started SoDak Soda with her husband, Dr. Joseph Rees, in 2022. “We had been discussing ways to take the business to the next level, and this opportunity presented itself.”

The shop features Coke and Pepsi soft drinks that are customized with flavored syrups, fruit purees and creams. The family discovered trendy soda shops while visiting family in Utah and Arizona, and opened the first shop in a retail center along 85^th Street west of Western Avenue.

“I always tell people the sky’s the limit with combinations and flavors,” Rees said. Customers can create their own or pick from a menu of popular combinations.

SoDak Soda also offers a few sweet and savory snacks, and those will be available at the southwest location too, which is just west of Roosevelt High School. The cookie dough will be prepared in the original location but baked fresh in the new spot, Rees said.

The space needs a little electrical and plumbing work, and they’re planning to paint over Stensland’s  black cow spots on the wall, Rees said.

“We would hope to open in May,” she said. “A lot of that is probably going to hinge on hiring and scheduling. We had applications already for this location (85th), and we’re trying to decide who would be a good fit for that location.”

While the 85th Street location has a drive-thru, the new location will be walk-in only because Flyboy uses the drive-thru, Rees said. Inside, there is shared seating for the two businesses, which will have some overlap in hours.

Summer hours for SoDak Soda will be the same at both locations: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Stensland had been in the location since June 2020 and decided not to reopen after closing for winter, said Leah Moeller, one of the Stensland family owners. It still has two retail shops in Sioux Falls that sell the farm’s ice cream and other products.

SoDak Soda was the city’s first gourmet soda shop, but people are starting to catch on to the beverages, Rees said.

“Our brand is becoming more recognizable,” she said. “We’ve got a great base of solid customers who come in and we’re seeing new customers every day. It’s still fun to explain to people what it’s like, and it just fun to become a brand in Sioux Falls. Having a second location is going to just help us solidify that.”