Aug. 28, 2020

JoAnn was filled with shoppers this morning as the fabric and craft store reopened almost one year after being destroyed in a tornado.

The store in the Plaza 41 retail center at 41st Street and Kiwanis Avenue was basically rebuilt inside from the ground up after one of three tornados hit Sioux Falls on Sept. 9, 2019.

“We’ve been waiting a year for this,” said Levi del Valle of Sioux Falls, who was shopping with Deanne Grilfiph. Their shopping cart was stacked with bolts of fabric to be cut.

Employees at the fabric-cutting stations were busy helping a line of customers.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The first hour of shopping Tuesday through Thursday is dedicated for “vulnerable customers and first responders.”

A sign posted on the door asks customers to join the team members in wearing masks because of the pandemic. “If you need a mask, we’re happy to provide you with one,” the sign reads.

Neighboring Tuesday Morning hasn’t posted a reopening date but does have a “now hiring” sign up.

Pizza Ranch likely will be the last to reopen, with a scheduled opening sometime this fall. It’s expanding the restaurant and also ran into COVID-related delays as Tuesday Morning and JoAnn did.

The Original Pancake House and The Rush Bar & Grill reopened in June.

Halloween Express has a temporary lease for the former Dreamers Outlet space. It’s set to open Labor Day weekend.