April 15, 2024

The lakefront at Lake Lorraine is about to take on a whole new use.

Renderings by Stone Group Architects

The team at Van Buskirk Cos. and Friessen Development broke ground today on Big Lost Meadery, a Wyoming-based bar and restaurant that specializes in mead and also will have an on-site brewery. The restaurant component, Ranch & Roost, will offer a menu featuring appetizers, burgers and chicken sandwiches with a farm-to-table approach.

“We plan to bring Sioux Falls a new concept based on an old tradition,” said Sam Clikeman, who founded Big Lost Meadery nearly a decade ago.

“We decided it was the perfect place for us to go. … This community truly is incredible.”

The two-story, nearly 9,500-square-foot building will complete a long-desired piece of the development by offering a place where guests can dine or have a beverage along the lake.

It’s “a project that’s been part of the dream of Lake Lorraine from the beginning,” said Steve Van Buskirk, president of land development at Van Buskirk Cos., which is co-developing Lake Lorraine with the Friessen family.

“It’s been a real team effort, a real collaborative effort, and we’re really looking forward to taking the next steps forward here in Sioux Falls.”

Van Buskirk’s construction team will be building Big Lost Meadery, which plans to open by next spring.

It will be adjacent to a newly developed plaza that will invite visitors to further enjoy the lakefront, with access to a walking path and future development.

Big Lost Meadery will sit on the north side of the lake in an area that includes Hyatt Place and The Blu on Lorraine apartments.

Becoming part of the broader Lake Lorraine community helped cement the business’ decision to come to Sioux Falls over other metro areas it considered for expansion, Clikeman said.

“This is what we knew we could be a part of because ultimately we wanted to be part of something bigger than just a little brewery and restaurant and be part of the community.”

Big Lost Meadery to bring bar, brewery, restaurant to Sioux Falls