First Taco John’s in Sioux Falls to close mid-July —Tea’s Taco John’s to open mid to late July

By Jodi Swan

The first Taco John’s in Sioux Falls will be closing.

The plan is to close the location at 1420 W. 41st St. likely around mid-July, said Ted Miller, vice president of operations for the franchise group.

The store dates back to 1971 when 41st Street was just beginning to develop — four years before The Empire Mall opened.

“It’s been a long time. It’s an older building that by the time we do what we need to do to get the building up to current specs for Taco John’s, we’re just better off kind of realigning our stores and rebuilding,” Miller said.

“When we closed the Minnesota (Avenue) store, we had some fun, so I’m sure we’ll have a little going-away, history-making moment.”

The staff will be moving to the new Taco John’s location in Tea, which is expected to open in mid- to late July.

That will make nine locations in the Sioux Falls area.

“There’s no other market in the Taco John’s footprint that has more Taco John’s per capita than Sioux Falls,” Miller said. “We try to stay as aggressive as we can without cannibalizing ourselves.”

That said, “I think there’s probably room for another one or two,” he said.

The 1,757-square-foot 41st Street location will be listed for sale with Scott Blount of Lloyd Cos. It includes a small basement.

“I think it would be a very turnkey opportunity for somebody to go into,” Miller said.

Reprinted with permission from Sioux Falls Business