Feb. 19, 2020

The west side is about to get a lot sweeter.

Flyboy Donuts and Stensland Family Farms are coming together to open a combination store in the Roosevelt Marketplace retail center at 41st Street and Sertoma Avenue.

“It has been my dream and intention since purchasing Flyboy to reach all four corners of Sioux Falls, as we hear daily of the need to cater to the underserved west side,” owner Ben Duenwald said. “We look forward to seeing west-side faces more often in their own backyard.”

Stensland wasn’t looking at another store until potentially next year, but when Flyboy raised the possibility of sharing space, it made sense.

“What a great partnership with another local company,” said Leah Moller, a family owner who manages retail operations and marketing.

“It’s a really great area over there, so we’re excited about it.”

The arrangement allowed both to find a location that met their size requirements.

“They were both looking for about 1,500 square feet of space, so we all worked together to open the first ‘shared location’ with Flyboy and Stensland sharing a 2,448-square-foot end-cap space,” said Ryan Tysdal of Van Buskirk Cos., who brokered the deal.

“A majority of Flyboy’s business is in the early daytime hours, and all of Stensland’s business happens in the afternoon and evening hours, so it was a perfect marriage.”

The space will included a dedicated sales counter area for both Flyboy and Stensland, and they will have a shared seating area and outdoor patio.

Stensland will serve the same products as its other two stores, including ice cream, milk, cheese, butter and hamburger. The dipping case serves ice cream, sundaes and floats.

Flyboy also will have a drive-thru window for doughnut and coffee sales – both locally roasted coffee and specialty coffee drinks.

“Both parties immediately loved the idea of the ultimate treat destination,” Duenwald said.

“Both brands are extremely relatable as they are locally owned brands, made from scratch with a farming entrepreneurial spirit and background.”

Sharing space also could lead to some creative collaborations, Moller said. Stensland already serves its ice cream with Flyboy doughnuts on National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

“We’ve joked about that a little bit, but in all honesty we’re just getting the space figured out and how we can navigate.”

Roosevelt Marketplace has seen other local operators open over the past year including GreatLIFE, Year Round Brown, Giliberto’s Mexican Taco Shop and Nail World.

The center has two spaces left for lease. “We’ve had good leasing momentum,” Tysdal said.

“The existing tenants are high-traffic tenants, which is attractive for other retail and service users looking for a location in this area. This area could really use a salon and sandwich shop.”

Stensland plans to be open by early May, with Flyboy opening later in the summer.

It builds on a busy year for both businesses. Flyboy plans to open at 57th Street and Sycamore Avenue in May in a building shared with Plains Commerce Bank.

Stensland took on operating concessions at the Midco Aquatic Center recently and will continue to operate the city’s Falls Overlook Cafe at Falls Park.