June 25, 2019

A new locally owned coffee shop will bring an artisan-style experience to Brandon.

Billy Cutrer, co-owner of Gypsy Trading Co. is opening Kingbird Coffee Shop in the same retail center at 515 N. Splitrock Blvd.

“I’d say 85 percent of people who come (to our store) ask about us opening a coffee shop,” Cutrer said. “People here want something unique. Sioux Falls has known coffeehouses that roast their own beans and provide a fresher and higher quality product, but they want something that is grown in Brandon.”

To accommodate these requests, Cutrer has decided to open his own coffee shop in Brandon. If construction goes as planned, he hopes to open Kingbird in early August. Cutrer and his wife, Ellison, are co-owners of both Gypsy Trading and the retail center it is housed in, allowing them to open the coffee shop in an open space at the strip mall.

Cutrer said Kingbird will have an “Old World, high-end feel” like one would find in bigger cities. There will be plenty of seating on the main floor, a loft and outside, with a drive-thru. The cafe will be equipped with Italian-made equipment that will allow baristas to manually control espresso output and the flavor of each individual beverage.

“The baristas will be trained in many different methods of coffee-making,” he said. “They will be more like artisans than regular baristas. We want the shop to be warm and inviting, where people can go for both coffee and a friendly chat. It will be like the ‘Cheers’ bar but with coffee.”

While the shop will not roast its own beans in its first year of business, Cutrer said he plans to once he settles into his new routine. He’s looking forward to purchasing beans from worldwide distributors. Each customer will be able to find out not only which country their beans are from but also the region, farm and family name.

Cutrer is originally from Hawaii, where he said he acquired a taste for fine coffee at a young age by drinking Kona coffee. He also lived in Portland and Seattle for a few years, so coffee has always been a big part of his life. Now, he wants to bring his love of high-end coffee to the Brandon community.

“Once you get a taste of fresh coffee, you can never go back,” he said. “The coffee scene is really young, but it’s growing and taking off in this country. People want that coffeehouse, artisanal feel.”

Along with Gypsy Trading, the retail center also houses Beautique and Sassy Nails and Spa. Cutrer said he is excited to see the impact Kingbird has on its neighbors as the Brandon strip mall continues to grow.

“While waiting for a nail salon appointment or shopping for clothes, people can stop in for coffee,” he said. “It’s a full-package deal now.”