Nov. 18, 2021

A growing local balloon bouquet and decoration business now has a retail storefront on East 10th Street.

Queen City Balloon Bar offers a shopping area for customers, including a bar – but no booze –  where they can sit while orders are being made. There’s also a workspace in the back for owners Ryan and Christine Egan.

Ryan Egan started giving larger balloon bouquets to friends, and the hobby turned into a home-based business six years ago. He came up with the name Queen City in honor of the nickname for Sioux Falls from the early days of the city’s history.

“We started with a small extra bedroom, and then it started overflowing into our living room,” Egan said.

Now, they’re leasing space in a retail center at 3320 E. 10th St.

“Sioux Falls is the perfect place to do this,” he said. “There’s nothing else like it in town.”

Egan credits support from the community, everyone from event planners and corporate clients to “everyday consumers,” for the ballooning success.

“We do upscale balloon decorations and gifts,” he said. “It’s more of a boutique than going into a party store and doing something quick.”

A recent unique installation for Jane Rae Events at The District featured 4-, 5- and 8-foot-round balloons suspended from the rafters, Egan said.

The couple started by ordering supplies through Partyland – “We still refer business to them all the time,” Egan said – and then started having inventory and helium shipped to their home. “It was easier, and then it started overtaking our home, and it wasn’t easier.”

In the new balloon bar, which was designed by interior decorator Chelsea Veurink, there’s a large selection of character and shaped balloons.

Another wall holds 54 bins with different solid colors of balloons and an assortment of reflective metallic colored ones. And there are even more that aren’t on display, like all the latex balloons with printed salutations.

The shop hand-cuts its tassels for balloon strings, offers satin ribbon as an option for curling ribbon and mixes its own confetti that it sells by the ounce.

A coming addition to the balloon bar will add to the festive atmosphere. Egan is planning to put his parents’ jukebox in one of the front corners and will donate the proceeds from the music to local nonprofits.

Egan works part-time as a church music director and Christine is a member of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and teaches private violin lessons, so the store’s hours will vary Tuesday through Saturday. It will be open Monday by appointment.

They will have their official opening on Nov. 27, Small Business Saturday.