CULTURE + ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD & DRINKS
605 BEST BAR The Orion Pub ORIONPUB.COM // (605) 271-1481 // 127 W 10TH ST, SIOUX FALLS
In the early days of Sunny's Pizzeria in Sioux Falls, owner Jon Oppold was working every lunch shift. Patron Thomas Hentges would come in now and again to watch a Twins game, and conversations would often lead to, “If we opened a bar…” “Fast forward to a couple of years, and I was hanging out at Glacial Lakes Distillery having a chat with someone who had looked at the space The Orion Pub currently occupies and decided it was too small for the concept he was trying to open,” recalled Oppold. “I was unaware the space was even available.”
“Selfishly, it’s all stuff we like to drink as well,” laughed Oppold. As Sioux Falls didn’t have a classic pub downtown filled with rich history, Hentges and Oppold had to create it themselves. “It just felt so obvious there was a place for a little unpretentious, retro neighborhood bar in downtown Sioux Falls, and we wanted to create a space that felt like it's been there for decades,” said Oppold. They curated the space with nostalgic décor, used bar furniture, ‘70s-style wood paneling, and unique artifacts that showcased people and places in Sioux Falls history. Along with brews, The Orion Pub serves six varieties of 12-inch pizzas from Sunny’s. They also offer classic bar snacks in single servings, like pickled eggs, pickled sausages, and pub mix. Oppold said, “I mean, you can't have a classic pub without something pickled in a jar ready to eat on a moment's notice, right?!” As Hentges and Oppold created a bond over their Minnesota sports fandom prior to the opening of the bar, The Orion Pub has become a place for Minnesota sports fans to watch Vikings , Timberwolves , and Twins games. “I recall a trip to the Twin Cities where I watched a Vikings game in a bar full of their fans and it was such a blast,” said Oppold. “I wanted to try and recreate that environment of comradery at the pub.” Though it’s popular during those particular games, The Orion Pub is anything but a sports pub—it’s your neighborhood bar. “It’s a place of shared connection where memories are made amongst your friends and neighbors,” said Oppold.
He got the building owner’s info and scheduled a showing.
“I liked what I saw in the space and—in a kismet coincidence—Thomas, who worked at Miner Brewing Company at the time, posted on Facebook that day that Miner was closing and he was going to be out of work soon,” he said. Oppold immediately reached out to him to see if he was interested in opening the bar they had talked about. They signed a lease that week and “were off to the races.” The entrepreneurial pair recognized the downtown craft cocktail, craft beer, and elevated food scene was rapidly growing, but something was missing—the feeling of a neighborhood bar. Their concept was a downtown “old school, no frills, cozy, working-class establishment.”
“We knew there was an audience for that,” said Oppold.
The skinny-but-long space seats 49 people, and specializes in offering classics on tap like Hamm's , Coors Banquet , Pabst Blue Ribbon , Grain Belt , Miller High Life , and Old Style . The Orion Pub also serves local beer from breweries such as WoodGrain Brewing Co. , Covert Artisan Ales , Severance Brewing Co. , Fernson Brewing Company , Remedy Brewing Company , and more.
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