What's New in Sioux Falls: New Openings and the Argus Leader

Here is what is new in the Sioux Falls area this week: a charcuterie shop opened on the east side, a family-run Mexican restaurant took over a longtime spot on West 41st, the seasonal sweet-treat shop Polar Bites reopened under new ownership, and the Argus Leader got a new owner. There are also fresh building numbers for September that tell an honest story about where development stands. I'm Jennifer Krosch, a Realtor with eXp Realty, and I keep this local beat because the places opening and the projects being built are the same signals that tell you where a neighborhood is headed.

Modern Meze: a new charcuterie shop on the east side

New on the east side is Modern Meze, a charcuterie shop at 1524 S. Sycamore Ave, right next to Walt & Mary's Nutrition. The shop is the creation of Sladjana McCord, who had been making charcuterie boards at home with her three children for a couple of years and draws on her Balkan and European heritage. She calls it a one-stop charcuterie shop, and the format backs that up: dine-in service, grab-and-go boards, retail sales of specialty meats and cheeses so people can build boards at home, plus catering and classes.

The space was renovated over the summer, and the shop opened in late July or early August, so it is still the new kid on the block and was confirmed up and running in SiouxFalls.Business's Comings & Goings column this week. For hours, the shop is closed Monday and Sunday, open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dine-in lunch runs Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner service is Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. For the east side, it is a genuinely different kind of spot, and the kind of everyday amenity that adds to a neighborhood's appeal.

Mi Ranchito No. 1: a family-run Mexican restaurant replaces Guadalajara

On the southwest side, a familiar dining space has a new family behind it. Mi Ranchito No. 1 Mexican Restaurant opened in late September in the former Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant location at 5309 W. 41st St, near the 41st and Marion corner. It is owned and run by Jamie Delgado and his wife Evelia Chavez, with Evelia's sister Mary Chavez helping with the opening. The couple were partners with Jamie's sister in Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant in Pierre, so this is a concept they know well.

The menu is a full one, running 10 pages across enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, steak and chicken dishes, salads, soups, appetizers, and desserts, with 25 combo dishes to choose from. There are five varieties of salsa, and the complimentary table salsa served with chips is chunky with fresh tomato and onion. When a family restaurant steps into a longtime neighborhood spot like the former Guadalajara space, it is usually a good sign that the location has kept its loyal following.

Polar Bites: a favorite sweet-treat stop reopens

For anyone who has driven past the shipping container on 41st Street, the good news is that Polar Bites is back. The seasonal rolled-ice-cream and shaved-ice shop at 501 E. 41st St, which founders Jessica and Matt Rooney started out of a Dakota Snow trailer back in 2015, has been sold and reopened under new ownership. The buyers are an investment group led by Jon Oppold, the owner of Sunny's Pizzeria and a co-owner of The Orion Pub.

The shop closed for about three weeks during the transition and reopened in September with an extended season. The new owners told SiouxFalls.Business they have lots of ideas for next season, and they were hoping for sunnier weather to draw crowds. The shop typically runs from about noon to 9 p.m. during the season. With the weather turning, it is worth grabbing a rolled ice cream before the seasonal windows close for the year.

The Argus Leader gets a new owner

The biggest local business story this week is about the newspaper. On September 28, Lee Enterprises and USA TODAY Co. announced a realignment of their local newspaper portfolios, and as part of the deal Lee Enterprises acquired the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, along with the Aberdeen American News (including the Farm Forum), the Watertown Public Opinion, and the Great Falls Tribune in Montana. In exchange, USA TODAY Co. assumed full ownership and operations of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson. No price was disclosed.

For Sioux Falls, the change matters because of what Lee says it plans to do. The company, which now operates in 114 markets across 25 states, grew its South Dakota footprint to four newspapers with the deal, adding the Argus Leader, the American News and Farm Forum, and the Public Opinion to the Rapid City Journal it already owned. In announcing the move, Lee said it is committed to renewed investment in serving Sioux Falls and telling South Dakota's story. When a market's daily paper changes hands, it is a reminder that local journalism and local real estate are tied together: the coverage of neighborhoods, schools, and development is part of what keeps a city informed and connected.

The local economy, by the numbers: September building permits

On the development side, the City of Sioux Falls issued just over $90 million in new building permits in September, a below-average month. Through September, the city had issued 4,736 permits valued at $796.9 million for the year. For context, the same January-through-September stretch last year saw 4,487 permits worth just over $1 billion, and 2024 came in at roughly $801 million across 5,000-plus permits. So the pace this year is running below the last couple of years.

The breakdown tells a familiar story: new residential construction totaled $137.1 million through September, down from $177.6 million at the same point in 2025, and the city's building services division describes new single-family construction as continuing to be slow. Apartments are the opposite story, with the city calling it another strong year: permits were issued for 1,738 new multifamily units in 2026, up from 1,521 last year, and seven apartment projects this year carry values above $10 million each.

The largest single permit in September was the Emra Apartments, a 95-unit senior living complex for people 55 and up at 7900 E. White Spruce Place, near Six Mile Road and Arrowhead Parkway. The permit, issued September 2, was valued at $22,425,000, and the developer is Fargo-based Great States Development. For home buyers and sellers, the through-line is simple: apartment supply keeps building while single-family construction stays slow, which keeps real pressure on the resale market and on new homes for sale. It is one more reason a well-priced, well-prepped home in the right neighborhood still moves.

A little fall fun in the surrounding communities

Before the snow flies, the surrounding communities are in their last stretch of fall season. The Country Apple Orchard Fall Festival at 27249 SD Hwy 115 near Harrisburg runs every weekend through the end of October with U-pick apples, a corn maze, tractor rides, a pumpkin patch, and its country store. Admission runs $12.50 on Fridays and $15.50 on Saturdays and Sundays, and the U-Pick pay shack is open outside the festival if you just want apples. The Heartland Country Corn Maze at 27455 SD Hwy 11 in Harrisburg keeps its 11-acre maze open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the end of October, and it is a great pick for families. In Brandon, Cherry Rock Farms at 48105 264th St offers pumpkins, a corn maze, hayrides, goat petting, pumpkin painting, a s'mores fire pit, and food trucks, and it is open most days of the week, though it is always worth checking the farm's page before you head out late in the season.

These are the kind of close-to-home fall outings that make the metro feel small in the best way, and for anyone scouting neighborhoods with kids, they are a practical part of the local story. A short drive to Harrisburg or Brandon for a Saturday at the orchard is exactly the quality-of-life detail relocating buyers ask about.

What this means for buyers and sellers

Here is the realtor's take. New restaurants and shops landing on the east side, the southwest side, and down on 41st Street all point the same direction: Sioux Falls keeps getting more livable, and the everyday amenities people want keep showing up. A neighborhood with a charcuterie shop, a family-run Mexican restaurant, and a frozen-treat stop has a lived-in quality that holds its desirability, whether you are buying or selling.

The September permit numbers add the honest caveat. Single-family new construction is slow while apartments are strong, which means competition for existing homes stays real. If you are selling, that is momentum worth understanding; if you are buying, it is a reason to be ready when the right home comes up. When I work with relocating buyers, amenities come up as often as square footage, and this week's news gives them current, concrete answers about what it is like to live here. If you want to talk through what any of this means for your search or your home's value, I would love to walk it through with you.

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