March 10, 2026

An iconic Sioux Falls bar is leaving its longtime location.

Top Hat Bar & Lounge has been told its lease at 508 S. First Ave. won’t be renewed when it expires at the end of the year, owner Andrea Shaw said.

It first opened in 1954 and is the longest-running bar in Sioux Falls to operate under the same name, she said.

Shaw purchased it in 2006 from the original owners.

“Since then, my goal has always been simple: Keep it the same kind of bar people have loved for generations — a place where you didn’t have to dress up, where the beer was cold and affordable, and where everyone was welcome,” she said in a statement.

“Over the years, so many of you have walked through those doors and turned this little dive bar into something much bigger than a business. It became a home away from home. Lifelong friendships were made here. Stories were told, jukebox songs were sung, games were celebrated, and sometimes we just sat together and shared a laugh after a long day.”

Shaw is working on a new location, she said.

“This is me and my heart,” Shaw said in an interview. “My heart hurts for all the memories we’ve made and all the fun. There’s people that have been going there that their parents or grandparents have been going there and my heart hurts for them.”

New Life Church, which is north of the Top Hat, issued a statement about the announcement.

“Our hearts go out to the entire Top Hat Bar team,” it said. “They have been a beloved part of downtown Sioux Falls for years, and Andy and her team have always had our respect and goodwill. We wish them nothing but the best in whatever comes next.”

The church said it did not have a role in the closure nor had it purchased the building at 508 S. First Ave.

However, it went on to say that “to be transparent — if the opportunity to purchase the building comes, we will prayerfully make that decision as a church. Our only goal has always been to grow alongside this community and bring people closer to Jesus. We are blessed to be in downtown Sioux Falls.”

Both Top Hat and the vacant Printers Inc. to the south, are owned by a chapter of American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, the largest and oldest grassroots organization for American citizens of Greek heritage.

The Printers Inc. is no longer operating, and the building appears vacant.

There is extensive history to the properties, according to the AHEPA chapter’s website, dating back to when President Abraham Lincoln granted the property in 1864 as part of 160 acres to Pierre Hastibease. The print shop building was built in 1938 for AHEPA while the building now known as the Top Hat followed in 1958.

An inquiry to the property owners has not been answered yet.