By The Swag Shoppe in downtown Aberdeen is in the midst of a significant renovation project, but the doors aren’t closed to customers.
Owners Tiffany Langer and Kyle Walz had initially planned to close for a few days to focus on construction and removal of the old Slackers bar, needed to create more space, but decided against doing so.
The Swag Shoppe owners Kyle Walz and Tiffany Langer are remodeling their Main Street space. Aberdeen Insider photo by Shannon Marvel.
The Swag Shoppe isn’t the only business in the midst of construction on South Main Street as Dacotah Bank is erecting a new building next to Three22.
“With Dacotah Bank doing their remodels, it’s kind of like, well, everything is kind of just a little hectic around here right now, so we may as well join in,” Walz said.
MORE: Business roundup: The Swag Shoppe opens on South Main Street
“It’s been drawn out a little longer than we wanted, that’s for sure,” he said.
The business moved into the old Slackers space in November 2023, and Walz and Langer knew right away they’d eventually need more space so they could expand. That meant moving out the old bar, which was salvaged by some former Slackers patrons.
“It was always kind of part of the plan,” Langer said.
“This just started to feel more and more like home. And we were like, this is great. And the vibe was great, we all loved Slackers, too,” she said of the building at 319 S Main St.
Walz said the purpose for the remodel is to have better systems in place for retail and manufacturing. That meant removing the lengthy bar countertop and a 16-foot tap cooler.
The bar and tap cooler were nostalgic, “but didn’t really work” for The Swag Shoppe, Langer said.
Two of the three bathrooms are also being removed and remodeled.
“We all have kids and so we’re knocking out two bathrooms and making it into another space that includes an office with more storage and everything,” Langer said.
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“We’re trying to keep the murals, though, and trying to keep those special Slackers pieces for the people who loved it, but also make it more efficient for us,” she said.
She and Walz were in the midst of demolition work for the remodel on Friday, Feb. 14.
“We’re still in the rut of it, and there’s other parts of this I think we were hoping to put off for another time, it’s just we’ve been so busy and customers are finding us enough that we just need to do it now. We’re never going to slow down. We’re just going to keep ramping up,” Langer said.
The apparel and clothing business is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Dempsey’s announces plans to close
Danger Von Dempsey’s Pizza and Brewhaus in Aberdeen will be closing at the end of February.
According to information released by owner Sean Dempsey, the South Main Street business is closing after six years in town.
“We will always cherish the memories made here with you,” Dempsey said in his message. “We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years, all our past and present employees, and the community for the love they have shown us since 2019.”
Other Danger von Dempsey locations in Watertown and Brookings will remain open.
News and notes
- Conklin Clinics has started a support group for survivors of suicide called HUGS, which stands for Hope Understanding Grief Support. Meetings are the second Tuesday of the month starting March 11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Conklin Clinics, 2120 Eighth Ave. N.E. The support group is a peer support group intended to help members explore feelings through the grieving process and discover resources.
- Auditions for Aberdeen Community Theatre’s Young People’s Theatre production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” are Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4 at 6 p.m. both evenings. Auditions are in Walker Hall at the Capitol Theatre, 415 S. Main St. More than 20 actors will be cast for the show. Scripts are available at the ACT office or the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library. Actors need only attend one audition. Audition forms are available at AberdeenCommunityTheatre.com.
- Marshall County farmer Jameson Peters received a Beginner Farmer Bond of up to $634,000 from the Economic Development Finance Authority. The bond will be used to purchase 136.7 acres of farmland, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. .
- Hannah Walters, Northern State University assistant professor of marketing and director of the Honors Program has published a new textbook called “AI in Marketing: Applications, Insights and Analysis.” Walters was co-editor on the book, which features contributions from 18 authors, discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses create strategies for success.
- United Way of Northeastern South Dakota is accepting new agency applications from non0profit human service organizations. Those interested can call the United Way office at 605-225-0212. Deadline to apply is March 14.
- James Koltes, an associate professor at Iowa State University is this year’s Lamont Rhodes Speaker at Northern State University on Tuesday, April 8 at the Kessler’s Champion Club inside the Barnett Center. Koltes’ talk about artificial intelligence and how it is reshaping agriculture begins at 9 a.m. Breakfast begins at 8:15 a.m.