Legacy of Bob’s Cafe coming to end unless last-minute buyer is found

Feb. 5, 2021

A legacy of broasted chicken in Sioux Falls is coming to an end unless a new owner is found for Cluckin’ Good Chicken & BBQ.

“After 20 years in business, it’s time for me to retire,” said Ben Weiland, who took over what was then Bob’s Cafe in 2000 with his son, Jona. “I’ve been looking for an owner for a while and have not found one. … My son does not want to carry on without me.”

The restaurant at 3607 E. 10th St. will close by March 31.

“It’s unfortunate, and unless someone takes it over, there won’t be Bob’s chicken anymore,” said Weiland, who turns 68 later this month.

Over 50 years, Bob Lyons and his family built the reputation for Bob’s Cafe, which operated out of a small diner with an iconic neon sign at 1312 W. 12th St. Broasted chicken was the signature item, but customers also were drawn to the 11 seats at the counter for breakfast and burgers cooked on the grill.

When the Weilands took over the cafe, renting the space from Lyons, they renamed it Bob’s Carry Out & Delivery and then Cluckin’ Good when they moved the business to the east side of Sioux Falls in 2017.

The location in a retail center at 10th and Bahnson doesn’t have a grill, so the menu doesn’t include breakfast and burgers anymore. That cost them a few of the old-timers, but they picked up new customers from the east side, Weiland said.

Over the years, the father and son built up the menu’s barbecue offerings, which include ribs, beef brisket and pulled pork – all smoked indoors on an electric unit that burns wood.

“That’s right next to the broasters,” Weiland said. “We have four broasters, and we can do up to 300 pieces of chicken every 25 to 30 minutes.”

Over the years, “we have enhanced the original recipe,” he said.

Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, “we had the best year we’ve ever had,” Weiland said. “Business was up 40 percent over the previous year.”

Takeout has always been about half of the restaurant’s business, he said.

Cluckin’ ended lunch hours a couple of years ago after securing a contract with Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital to provide food for the staff of 300 four days a week. And they aren’t eating broasted chicken every day – the variety included meals such as pork mac and cheese, sloppy joes, chili dogs, lasagna or spaghetti.

After putting in “lots of hours over the years,” Weiland has no specific plans for retirement.

“Whatever it is, it’s going to have no responsibility … not irresponsible but unresponsible,” he joked.

For son Jona, “it’s the only job he has ever had,” Weiland said. “He’s been doing it for over 25 years. … I think he’s going to try to find something in a totally different direction – at least try it anyways.”

Weiland is encouraging everyone with Bob’s or Cluckin’ gift cards to come in and use them. The lease is up at the end of March, so it’s possible the restaurant will have to close a week or so earlier than that to remove the equipment if a buyer isn’t found, he said.

“Anyone who hasn’t experienced it has about two months to get in there and check it out.”

Correction: The story has been updated to reflect that the Weilands never bought the business from Lyons. 

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Legacy of Bob’s Cafe coming to end unless last-minute buyer is found

The end of an era is coming unless a buyer is found for this east-side restaurant that got its start in the former home of Bob’s Cafe.

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