Restaurant to close this weekend but will return once it finds new home

Feb. 24, 2021

A Dell Rapids restaurant is closing this weekend but planning to reopen in a new space later this year.

Papa’s Pub & Eatery did not renew its lease in the historic opera house where it opened two years ago, citing “business decisions” on each side.

“We’ve got some positive things moving in the right direction” for a new location, said David Ohayon, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Rebecca. “Right now, nothing obviously is confirmed for certain. We do have some logs in the fire.”

The new restaurant “absolutely” will be in Dell Rapids, said Ohayon, who lives in Sioux Falls. “That was our goal 100 percent to stay in Dell Rapids. It’s my wife’s hometown. We’re close to the community. We have a lot of friends and family that live here as well.”

They hope to be able to reopen in the summer or fall in what likely will be a smaller location, he said.

“Especially in this time and the age that we are with a lot of restaurants not really filling up, it’ll probably work out for the better as far as your staffing, your utilities, your overhead, things of that nature.”

The couple will take March to move out of the downtown building, and they have family trips planned in April, “so I’ll get to spend a lot of time with my kids and my wife,” Ohayon said. “My wife has worked real hard on the business side of trying to get things in order for us to open the next place, so she needs a break too, of course. Through the summer, my daughter plays competitive softball, we have a camper, and we’ll do a lot of family time, and then once the new place opens, we’ll get back to the grind.”

Supporters in the community have set up a GoFundMe page to help the Ohayons with relocation expenses, raising more than $3,800 this month.

“We’re obviously very grateful for that,” Ohayon said. “Whatever is able to be done, we’ll accept graciously. When we reopen, obviously, we’ll do something to thank the people of Dell Rapids. We did that this past summer (too). We had a big concert outside, we shut down Main Street and brought in a band from Minnesota, and they played for us. They’ve been very helpful in trying to keep us here. As far as when the pandemic hit, a lot of carryout orders when we couldn’t reopen. They’ve been very supportive, so we’re going to give that right back.”

The final lunch and dinner service will be Saturday, and after the kitchen closes that night, Papa’s is hosting a couple of comedians for entertainment. The bar will be open.

For a final special treat, the restaurant will reopen Sunday for breakfast from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The only other times Papa’s has served brunch have been the past two Mother’s Days.

“This town has been clamoring for breakfast. … So this Sunday we’ll do one more big breakfast for everybody and then at 2 o’clock, I’m closing the doors. My team and I will hang out and reminisce.”

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Restaurant to close this weekend but will return once it finds new home

A Dell Rapids restaurant is closing this weekend but planning to reopen in a new space later this year.

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