BUZZ

 Stacy Gossman is the owner of Scotty’s Tavern and Burgers and Big Fella’s restaurants.

 This spacious venue opens up many options for arrangement and decoration to celebrate any style and occasion.

The Zoo Bar Remodels and Expands Services

When you think about The Zoo Bar in Aberdeen, the college party scene may be your initial impression, but The Zoo is more than just the typical “college bar.” As of August 2020, the bar officially became a wedding and event venue.

The idea of offering the location as a wedding and event venue has been in the works for a couple years because of the extensive remodeling and the addition of the outdoor patio. Lowell and Denise Punt, owners of The Zoo Bar, waited for the right opportunity. Their daughter’s wedding reception set the plan in motion.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lowell and Denise’s daughter and son-in-law were forced to postpone their wedding. When rescheduling, the couple had limited options, but the spacious layout of The Zoo with the bonus of an outdoor patio became the perfect place for them.

Since then, the venue has hosted multiple events, including the Aberdeen Area Wrestling Fundraiser. The months ahead are also looking bright for The Zoo Bar as other customers have already scheduled their events with the new service.

This venue has the complete package. Clients have exclusive access to the location from 8:00 AM to 10:30 PM the day of their event with a full wait staff, bartenders, and a DJ. The entertainment feature includes dance floor lights, a microphone, and five projector screens.

If you are looking for a place to host your event, The Zoo Bar is an established business and is welcoming everyone to try out their new wedding and event venue on 1017 South Main Street in Aberdeen. // - Josie Clemens  Need more info? Contact The Zoo Bar Wedding and Special Events via Facebook @TheZooBar or email thezoosdevents@gmail.com.

The Return of Scotty’s Burgers

Scotty’s is back and better than ever as Scotty’s Tavern and Burgers.

The building on 719 North Main Street has quite the history. This Aberdeen hotspot started as Scotty’s Drive Inn back in 1962, which eventually was renamed Daddy’s Bar and Grill. When Daddy’s announced its closure in 2015, Stacy Gossman, owner of Big Fella’s, jumped in without hesitation.

The menu went back to the staples of Scotty’s original food but with a hint of Big Fella’s trending items. After five years of owning the business, Stacy decided to lease the property to Los Primos, a Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, amidst the global pandemic, Los Primos found that with limited staff and customers, the business could not prevail.

This gave Stacy another opportunity to reopen his 50s-themed burger shack this year in March.

The owner of Big Fella’s and Scotty’s says that the newly reopened restaurant is getting better every day, but without the dedication and commitment from his cook and staff, the burger restaurant would not be able to operate successfully.

The new menu carries everything from the classic Rebel burger to French dip sandwiches to fish n’ chips. Stacy keeps his food old-school, but Scotty’s Tavern is far from traditional as Stacy prides himself in the evolution of his craft, the ambiance of the restaurant, and the love from his customers.

This local favorite is sure to have food for every craving. // - Josie Clemens  Food service at Scotty’s Tavern and Burgers is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The tavern typically stays open until 11:00 PM. For specials and updates, visit www.facebook.com/ScottysDriveInn.

 The team of wellness advocates at Appoise. Back row (from left) – Tiffany Twiggs, Hope Shatto, Natasha Valnes-Jorgenson, Dena Sievers. Front row (from left) – Melia Mounga, Alaina Lock, Nicole Johnson, and Anna Rostad.

A Collaboration of Wellness Advocates Inflating Success at Beyond the Balloon

Appoise, the newly built wellness spa on 10 Railroad Ave. SW, officially opened its doors on June 1. This modern business offers a culmination of whole health and selfcare services and products for its customers.

Nicole Johnson, the founder of Appoise, has extensive training in everything from organic skincare modalities to advanced skincare products and worked with over 20 skin care lines before moving back to Aberdeen and venturing into her own unique space. Her goal was to bring individual businesses together, creating a onestop shop for all their customers’ needs, and organize and lead free-to-low-cost education and workshops.

Appoise is a collaboration of wellness advocates working together under one roof to provide an array of skincare and therapeutic services alongside healing wellness resources. With eight individual businesses working under the umbrella of Appoise, services range through a plethora of specialties: facials and waxing, yoga and Pilates private instruction, life and nutrition coaching, massage therapy, and foot zoning.

The excitement does not stop there. A lobby extending off the waiting area houses local artwork, kitschy retail gifts, and the products used by the businesses at Appoise. Nicole has even partnered with local businesses to include supplements for Alzheimer’s care and support.

“Sounds cliché, but one thing that is most important is knowing that we all can do our best, act with kindness, and live out loud while we invest in other people’s health,” Nicole said. // - Josie Clemens  For details about Appoise, check out their website www.appoise.com, look up AppoiseSD on Facebook, or call 605-846-0725.

 Tara and Josh Heitmann stand in front of one of their many creative balloon displays.

 The balloon inventory organized by size and color.

The old train depot building on 1 North Main Street is home to a new business in Aberdeen: Beyond the Balloon.

Beyond the Balloon offers balloon decor including balloon walls, arches, wreaths, and bouquets.

When Tara Heitmann first brought her idea of starting a balloon business to her husband, Josh, he laughed nervously but quickly realized her ideas went beyond the everyday balloon. With weeks of online research and practicing various displays, the couple turned their balloons into art.

The first public announcement of Beyond the Balloon was made January 29 through a Facebook Live video. The response surpassed anything the owners expected.

Since opening, even people in surrounding towns like Warner, Mellette, Groton, and Britton have requested Tara and Josh’s exceptional displays. With this much interest, Beyond the Balloon is already looking for ways to add other services for parties like a candy cart.

Not only do the balloons bring a lively element to any occasion, but their air-filled designs can last for weeks if handled with care.

From your everyday birthday bouquet to weddings and large events, Josh and Tara can do it all! The next time you are stuck on decorating ideas or want to liven up your celebration, check out Beyond the Balloon here in Aberdeen. // - Josie Clemens  Shop and browse Beyond the Balloon designs at http://beyond-the-balloon. square.site/s/shop or call 605-228-1789 for more information.

 Danger von Dogs offers a variety of unique hot dog combinations and toppings. Pictured in the photo are (from left) Michael Bacon and Pat Witte. Photo by Troy McQuillen

Warm Weather Welcomes Dempsey’s Hot Dog Cart

Danger von Dempsey’s Pizzeria & Brewhaus in Aberdeen is known for its pizza and craft brews, but as the days grow longer, a popular summer feature makes its appearance on South Main Street. Danger von Dogs, Dempsey’s eccentric hot dog cart, reopened on May 13.

The unique hot dog cart made its Aberdeen debut in August 2020.

Sean Dempsey, the owner of both Aberdeen and Watertown locations, launched the first hot dog cart at Dempsey’s Brewery in Watertown in June 2020. Curious to see if the residents of Aberdeen would love hot dogs as much as Watertown, Sean opened the second hot dog cart in Aberdeen.

Danger von Dogs was a perfect fit for Aberdeen, especially as the pandemic forced businesses to alter their hours. Being able to offer a mobile food option allowed the business to expand hours for part-time workers as well as continue to offer a lunch option for Dempsey’s customers.

The main menu consists of Chicago, Coney, Cincinnati, and Warsaw styles. The crowd favorite being the Cincinnati, a chili cheese dog with crushed Fritos.

This noteworthy hot dog cart also features a hot dog of the week with fun and creative ingredients. The Aberdeen hot dog cart will be operating three days a week: Thursdays in front of Danger von Dempsey’s and Fridays/Saturdays in varying locations. Look for the cart at the Malchow Plaza farmer’s market as well as the Downtown concert series. The cart will remain open through September. // - Josie Clemens  Stay updated on the specials and location of the hot dog cart on Facebook on the Proper Hot Dog Aberdeen page. Questions? Email dangervondempseys@gmail.com.

Mr. Appliance Excels Amidst a Pandemic

Mr. Appliance of Aberdeen, Watertown, and Brookings began business in April 2020 and operates as an in-home appliance repair and service on all makes and models.

Cory and Rebecca Barber, the owners of Mr. Appliance, recognized a business opportunity when they opened at the beginning of the global pandemic. People sought to repair their older appliances rather than replace them, most likely due to the limited availability of appliances caused by factory shutdowns.

Cory is fully equipped to tackle any repair service after serving almost nine years as an electronics technician in the US Naval Nuclear program and subsequently completing his engineering degree. With several years of experience in engineering and computer systems management, Cory understands the complex microprocessors within many of the modern appliances.

Mr. Appliance offers a “Job Satisfaction” guarantee, and the technicians are trained and dedicated to doing the job accurately and efficiently.

According to Cory, most of the time, people think that they must replace an appliance once it stops working, but more often than not, appliances can be restored for less than half the replacement cost.

Starting a new business may seem unattainable, especially when facing a global pandemic, but that never stopped Cory and Rebecca. Mr. Appliance offers competitive services, and the customer testimonies are glowing with customer service satisfaction. // - Josie Clemens  Mr. Appliance operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If you have questions or want to schedule a service, go to www.MrAppliance.com or call 605-824-6116.

 Rachel offers dance training in her studio with a variety of core styles, teaching students from ages 3 to 18.

Dance Studio Combines Tradition with New Perspective

The first official full year as Rachel Peterson Dance Studios in Aberdeen starts this August. The studio resides in the former Living Arts Dance Studios on 901 South Main Street previously owned by Vicki Schnoor.

Rachel Peterson, current owner of the studio, began dancing when she was four years old at Johnny Cavelle Studios and continued dancing with Vicki at Living Arts. She bought the studio in hopes of taking the traditions of Johnny Cavelle and Living Arts and mixing it with her new vision and direction.

“I was so proud of my studio as a student, and now I am even more proud and excited to create this studio as an extension of myself, my training, and my love for dance,” Rachel said.

Rachel Peterson Dance Studios offers classical dance training for ages 3 to 18. This training offers a multitude of core styles including ballet, tap, jazz, and modern with additional class offerings of pointe, poms, character, Irish, and Pilates.

“Our syllabus is designed so that as our students are developing ability and technique, they are introduced to more and more styles of dance to build their repertoire,” Rachel said.

Dance students in Aberdeen can look forward to the studio offering new dance styles to a larger age range and summer workshops to bring in unique styles and outside experience to the dancers. // - Josie Clemens  To learn more about Rachel’s studio, visit the studio’s Facebook and Instagram page @rachelpetersondance or call 605-380-4739.

 The new Banner

Engineering addition will add 45,000 square feet of space to the existing building.

Banner Continues to Grow

The construction that began in mid-March on the Banner Engineering facility is expected to wrap up in the later part of July. The expansion on the building cost nearly three million dollars, and the company has also invested in multiple pieces of equipment for the new space that will be brought in once the space is finished.

Tim Hanigan says that, fortunately, the mild end to winter and early start to spring has allowed the construction to stay on schedule. Tim is the Senior Production Manager and is responsible for the plant engineering operations in both Aberdeen and Huron as well as the general oversight on day-to-day operations.

The new expansion will add 45,000 square feet to an existing 66,000 square-foot building. This nearly-75 percent increase in production space will allow the company to meet manufacturing demands that come from a growing worldwide market for their products. The Aberdeen facility specializes in surface mount production and the manufacturing of finished good sensors.

Banner has been hiring on a rolling basis since last fall. The company hired an additional 70 employees between September and May and, as of May, employed around 330 people. Tim says based on what they have been experiencing and with the corporation’s projected sales growth, they will continue to expand their workforce for the next year or two. // - Symmone Gauer  For more information on the project or to apply for a job, visit www.bannerengineering.com.

The Community Welcomes Montgomery’s

The new Montgomery’s furniture store will soon open in the old OfficeMax location. The store will celebrate the new partnership between the Malchow family of former Malchow’s Home Furnishings, which suffered a fire in 2019, and the Sinclair family of Montgomery’s.

The Grand Opening of the store will be July 16. The theme is Neighborhood Block Party, and it will be a great time for everyone to get together. There will be live music, food vendors, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We just want to thank everyone in the community for supporting this project,” Mark Malchow says. Mark also says they had a great community turnout for the retirement sale last fall in honor of his dad’s retirement.

As managing partner, Mark will be in charge of oversight of the new Montgomery’s store. Several employees are returning from Malchow’s to work at the new store. In total, there will be between 16 and 18 employees.

They made two additions on the original building, changing the total space of the former OfficeMax from 23,500 to 55,000 square feet. The new Montgomery’s store will provide all the

 Construction on Montgomery’s new storefront is ongoing at the former OfficeMax location.

same lines and services as Malchow’s originally did but on a much larger scale. That will include furniture, a mattress gallery, a floor gallery, a lighting gallery, a window treatment gallery, a budget center, and a delivery service.

“We’re really excited...it’ll be the home furnishing store in the region and a gem of a store for the city of Aberdeen,” Mark says. //

– Symmone Gauer

 For more details, go to Montgomery’s Aberdeen on Facebook or call 605-262-4700.

Rob Stiehl

STATE FARM® INSURANCE AGENT

522 S. Arch Street Suite A Aberdeen, SD 57401 605.824.3372 www.robertstiehl.com