Feb. 29, 2024

A new jazz club with a bar and restaurant inside will fill the former Parlour Ice Cream House space at Washington Square in downtown Sioux Falls.

Riccardo and Marybeth Tarabelsi are opening Trio Jazz Club in between their other ventures in the Main Avenue building: Brix Wine Bar and Maribella Ristorante. They also own R Wine Bar & Kitchen on the east side of downtown.

The name is a nod to their three sons, as well as how “we’ll now have a trio of businesses inside the Washington Square building,” Riccardo Tarabelsi said. “And, of course, it’s a music term, so we’ll have lots of trios playing there. We’re just excited to bring what we feel is missing in Sioux Falls … an intimate music venue.”

While there’s minimal demolition and build-out being done, the Tarabelsis are adding a permanent stage with professional lighting and sound, as well as building a bar. The space will seat 46, including 12 at the bar rail.

Unlike Brix, which shares a menu with Maribella, Trio will have its own menu with “a lot of appetizers, a couple pasta and pizza options, salads and desserts,” Tarabelsi said.

Patio seating will be an option, but the space is designed for all the music inside.

“We’re trying to absorb sound as much as possible to make it a comfortable and professional venue,” Tarabelsi said.

Lenae Design is designing the space, which will be unlike either sister business inside Washington Square, he said.

“We’re looking at really deep, dark colors,” Tarabelsi said. “We’re going to have the lights real dim in the dining room and bar section so that the stage lights really do what they’re supposed to do, which is spotlight our music.”

R Wine Bar has seen success with live music and will continue to offer it two nights a week. But the jazz will move to Trio Jazz Club, where the plan is to host live music Tuesday through Saturday.

“We’re going to be working with primarily local musicians,” Tarabelsi said. “We’re going to be really intentional about having it be primarily jazz, but just because it’s a jazz club doesn’t mean we won’t have other genres.”

The plan is to open this summer. Parlour Ice Cream now is served inside the Washington Pavilion across the street.

Tarabelsi sees continued synergy for Trio Jazz Club within that area of downtown.

“It feels almost like a theater district where after you see a Broadway show you can walk across the street and catch more live entertainment,” he said. “We definitely want to cater to guests looking for that experience.”