Jan. 21, 2021

Hong Phrommany doesn’t like to be on camera — and when he has to be, he dislikes it even more to see himself on screen.

So a unique situation presented itself when Urban Chislic, the restaurant he co-owns, was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in early January. 

“I rarely watch my interviews,” Phrommany said. “I don’t mind talking in front of people, but the camera is another thing.”

Though Phrommany didn’t watch the episode very closely during Urban Chislic’s watch party for that reason, he said he was very pleased with some of the clips he saw and how it portrayed the restaurant. He also is excited by what the episode has done for his business, with traffic tripling since the episode aired. 

That’s a common report from all four South Dakota restaurants featured on episodes of Guy Fieri’s popular Food Network show airing Jan. 1 and 8. All of the restaurants’ respective owners have seen a sharp increase in customers as a direct result of the episodes. 

“A lot of people said they saw the show and have now come to try our food,” said Lalibela Restaurant owner Mulugeta Endayehu. “They thought the food sounded interesting, and they were very happy when they tried it.”

‘O’ So Good owner and chef Omar Thornton said the restaurant has been swamped since the episode aired. Regular customers are coming even more frequently, and new customers who always had an interest in trying the restaurant received their final push from watching the episode. 

Thornton said customers from all around South Dakota, western Minnesota and northern Iowa have made the trip to Garretson in the past few weeks specifically to try the restaurant. This heightened demand has forced Thornton to stop reservations much earlier than usual, and some nights, he has sold out completely. 

Family members and friends have volunteered at the restaurant, with a few longtime customers stepping up to help serve and clean tables on an especially busy night. 

“Needless to say, they got a great gift card and free meals out of that,” Thornton said.

Thornton said he has felt blessed to see new faces in his restaurant and enjoying his food, though he acknowledges the need to stay vigilant to keep providing exemplary dishes to his customers. 

“I still have goose pimples on my goose pimples,” Thornton said. “It still feels like a dream. It’s one of my favorite shows, and my family knows how much it means to me.” 

While he calls it a blessing, he also acknowledges the hype will calm down.

“We’ve got to focus on the food to make it the best we can make it. We know we have the flavor, we were on ‘Flavortown.’ Now, we have to prove it to new customers.”

Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen received a boost in customers a week later than the other restaurants, as its segment aired on the Jan. 8 episode. Coinciding with Sioux Falls’ Downtown Burger Battle, the episode has produced a “double whammy” of driving business, according to co-owner Barry Putzke. 

It’s kind of a trip,” Putzke said. “I’ve obviously been well aware of the show for quite a few years but to actually see our little restaurant portrayed in such a positive light is such a surreal feeling. The idea of people from all over the world seeing our restaurant is amazing.”

While thrilled to see their respective businesses featured, the owners also were glad to see their communities prominently displayed to an international audience. Thornton was particularly pleased to see Garretson get the spotlight. During filming last summer, a large crowd gathered outside the restaurant and got to yell “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” to cap off the episode, showing a passionate community that Thornton calls a blessing. 

“I was so filled with this love and pride for our town,” he said. “Knowing that will always be seen is just so humbling.”

‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ raves about ‘South Dakota smorgasbord’ in state’s first episode