Trent AbregoSioux Falls Argus Leader
With calendars turning over to December, it's time to make some wishlists, including what Sioux Falls residents want to come to town. And, the top answer: Trader Joe's.
We asked readers what businesses they have on their wish lists. Most of the businesses asked for this year were restaurants, but some department stores, like REI and Five Below, also made the cut.
Readers were polled through social media including Twitter and Facebook. Here's what they picked.
Trader Joe's
With more than 530 grocery stores across the country, Trader Joe's topped the list of many Sioux Falls residents who responded.
The company was founded back in 1957, by Joe Coulombe. Up until 1967, the business was known as Pronto Markets. Roughly 10 years later, in 1979, the company was bought by Theo Albrecht, the owner and CEO of Aldi, which recently added a fourth location in northwest Sioux Falls.
The national chain of grocery stores offers a number of unique products including the Trader Joe's brand. Sioux Falls residents wanting a Traders Joe's is nothing new. Back in 2018, residents voted Trader Joe's at the top of their wishlists as well. There are currently no Trader Joe's locations in South Dakota.
Headquarters: Monrovia, California
Locations: 569
Closest location: Omaha
Raising Cane's
Chick-fil-A opened a little more than a year ago, but Sioux Falls residents are still hoping for another chicken franchise to come to town.
The fast-food chain specializing in chicken fingers started in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where its headquarters are located. Raising Cane's has a presence in the surrounding area with 17 locations in both Minnesota and Nebraska and six in Iowa. There are currently no locations in South Dakota.
Headquarters: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Locations: 600
Closest location: Omaha
REI
REI is an outdoors person's dream with gear for camping, hiking, climbing, cycling and more. And, some are hoping the Washington-based company will make an appearance in Sioux Falls.
The store has locations on both coasts including 39 states, but none in either of the Dakotas. The cooperative offers lifetime memberships for $30.
REI got its start back in 1938 while in Seattle. By 1987, the store had diversified its offerings through global adventure vacations through the REI Adventures branch. REI has distribution centers in Washington state, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
Headquarters: Kent, Washington
Locations: 168
Closest location: Gretna, Nebraska
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The Cheesecake Factory
Known for a large menu with more than 250 items, some are hoping The Cheesecake Factory makes a move to Sioux Falls.
In 1978, The Cheesecake Factory opened up as a small restaurant that sold 10 varieties of cheesecake on a one-page menu. Most of the locations were in California, until the 1990s when the company started to venture outside of the state. Along with The Cheesecake Factory, the company operates the Grand Lux Cafe brand.
There are two locations in Minnesota, and one in Iowa and Nebraska. South Dakota is one of 11 states without a location.
Headquarters: Calabasas, California
Locations: 317
Closest location: Omaha
Runza
Runza, a Nebraska staple, was on some readers' wishlists to make the move to Sioux Falls.
Runza opened in 1949, but it wasn't until 1979 that the company started franchising restaurants.
In 1989, Runza tried to expand. That included plans to open a restaurant in the Latvian Republic of the Soviet Union, which eventually fell apart after the Soviet Union invaded Latvia. Runza also opened on the Las Vegas Strip and in Moline, Illinois, but both locations closed within a few years.
Currently, the chain has locations in Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. Most of the locations are in Nebraska. In the 1990s, Runza opened up shop in Sioux Falls, before closing. It might not be too long until Sioux Falls sees another location.
Headquarters: Lincoln, Nebraska
Locations: 86 (as of 2020)
Closest location: Wayne, Nebraska
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Five Below
Five Below, a chain of discount stores that sells products that are less than $5 and was a popular choice among respondents.
Five Below started in 2002 in the Philadelphia market and started expanding nine years later in 2011 by moving into Illinois and Michigan. Now, the store has locations in 40 states, according to the company's website.
Most products are less than $5, but there is a small assortment of goods that are more. Currently, there's a location in Rapid City.
Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Locations: 1,299
Closest location: Sioux City, Iowa
Dunkin' Donuts
While there are a number of drive-thru doughnut shops already in Sioux Falls, residents still want another one – a famous national chain: Dunkin' Donuts.
The Massachusetts-based coffee and doughnut chain got its start in 1950. By 1963, the chain opened its 100th store and five years later went public. In 1990, the company was acquired by Allied Lyons, who owned Baskin-Robbins. Eventually, the company bought out two rivals: Mister Donut and Dawn Donuts in the 1990s. In 2004, the company relocated its headquarters, and a year later, both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robins were sold for $2.4 billion. Now, the company's worth has grown to an estimated $6.41 billion.
Some Sioux Falls residents want a Dunkin' Donut location so badly, that they made a Facebook page petitioning for a location.
Headquarters: Canton, Massachusetts
Locations: More than 8,500 in the United States
Closest location: Mankato, Minnesota
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Dutch Bros
Location-wise, this seems like a long shot. But, according to Chain Storage, Dutch Bros is targeting opening more than 150 new stores to reach a goal of 800 by the end of 2023. If that's the goal, the chain is close and has 718 stores open currently, according to ScrapeHero, a data company.
In the third quarter alone, the west coast-based opened 38 locations across 11 states. More than 22% of Dutch Bros locations are located in Oregon, while 19% are located in California and 15% in Texas. Recently, the chain has moved as far west as Tennessee.
There are currently no Dutch Brothers locations in the tri-state area, and the closest one is located in Kansas City.
Headquarters: Grants Pass, Oregon
Locations: 718
Closest location: Kansas City
Waffle House
This one also seems like a long shot, and that's because it is. While there are more than 1,900 locations in the country, a vast majority are in the south.
The southern cultural icon got its start in Georgia in 1955 and has since the chain has expanded north as far as Pennsylvania, and as west as Arizona.
Headquarters: Norcross, Georgia
Locations: 1,971
Closest location: Saint Joseph, Missouri
Clarification: A previous version of this story did not include the first Runza location for Sioux Falls and the Rapid City location for Five Below. The story has been updated to reflect this change.
