New food and drink emporium bound for former Keller's Green Grocery

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The year 2017 was a good year for new bars and restaurants in Sioux Falls. Jeremy Fugleberg

Dan Myers has big plans for the former Keller's Green Grocery in downtown Sioux Falls.

Myers, who owns Elite Cafe & Catering in Sioux Falls, is turning the spot in the Carpenter Building into a food and drink emporium.

He is planning an upscale deli with a salad bar; a coffee, wine and beer bar; a small retail area with grab-and-go food and drinks; and a lounge with table seating. Several nights a week, he'll serve a prix fixe menu on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays centered on seafood, steak and other features.

Myers said he was looking for a bigger kitchen for his expanding catering business, but also to expand beyond his small cafe.

"I have been looking for something different and I always wanted to do a deli compared to a sandwich shop," he said.

He was looking at a smaller space, but then Brian White, co-owner of the Carpenter Bar (also in the Carpenter Building), contacted him about the open Keller's spot. Keller's closed in November after about a year in business in the location of the former Carpenter ballroom.

Myers is already hard at work remaking the Keller's space. He's adding brighter colors, and a large, inviting lounge and seating area designed to encourage conversation and relaxation.

"I wanted to make it a very home-like environment," he said.

Anne Haber, managing partner of the Carpenter Building, lauded Myers for his respect for the history of the building and the patrons will see it in Myers' design, layout and use of the space.

"More importantly, his product will be beautiful," he said. "He's an accomplished chef who's bringing his talents to us. It's exactly what downtown needs. We couldn't be more excited to have him in the building."

Myers wants the grab-and-go options to be perfect for those who live nearby and the lunch-time crowd. And his deli and salad bar will be made to get lunch-time customers their food fast.

"I think that's something downtown really need especially in that rush hour" around lunch, he said.

The name of Myers' new business is still to be determined. But he's shooting for an opening date of mid-March to early April, perhaps even opening before the St. Patrick's Day parade.