June 22, 2022

New owners for the south Sioux Falls bar and restaurant Tavern 180 have been making changes in the past few months.

The ownership group led by Kirby Muilenburg and Bryant Soberg also owns Tinner’s Public House and Northstar Grill & Pub. The two also have partial ownership in Wileys.

Tavern 180 opened at 69th Street and Western Avenue in late 2019. The previous owners were based in Omaha. There are three other locations in Iowa and Nebraska.

“My approach is to keep it as similar as possible but execute better — mostly better service and better food,” general manager Vinnie Olson said. “Staffing has been an issue everywhere … and that’s something we can do. We’re here, I know a lot of people and have been in this business a long time, and training is something I like to think I do pretty well.”

The restaurant has added a lunch menu with small portions and more affordable pricing, he said. The dinner menu “has stayed very similar” but added a Chilean sea bass dish.

The brunch menu is going to be revamped in the coming months.

“It’s a small place and a small kitchen, so we’re confined in what we can do, but what we can do is do it very well, so a small menu but executed very well,” Olson said.

The hope is to add live music similar to at Tinner’s — if not this season then for sure by next, he added.

Tavern 180 seems to draw a more female crowd, he said.

“There’s generally more women in the place than men; I’m not exactly sure why, but that’s been the concept so far.”

There likely will be renovation at some point to make the kitchen and bar area more workable, but nothing has been determined yet.

“We have 100 ideas,” Olson said. “But we’re ready (for guests) now. I’ve been struggling with staff, but we’re ready now, and I need to get business for them.”