Watecha Bowl to appear on ‘Good Morning America’
July 12, 2021
Native American restaurant Watecha Bowl is getting national attention with an upcoming segment on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The business will be part of a report on South Dakota businesses that continued to operate through the pandemic, owner Lawrence West said.
The other businesses are in the Black Hills, so West, wife Sophie and employees will be loading up their newest food truck, a trailer they added earlier this summer, and heading to Rapid City for the taping July 19.
The segment will air July 20, West said.
“I’m the only business they are interviewing,” he said. “They said it might only be a 20- to 40-second snippet on ‘Good Morning America,’ but the entire country is watching.”
West said the other businesses are a catering company in Rapid City and two tourist attractions.
He’s planning to serve Watecha’s popular Indian tacos, buffalo pot roast, fry bread cheese curds and more.
“We’ll get a feel for the customer base out there and give New Yorkers a taste of South Dakota soul food,” said West, who’s an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
Watecha Bowl started as a food truck in spring 2020, just as COVID-19 cases were beginning to appear in Sioux Falls. One year later, it expanded into a restaurant location at 2305 W. Madison St. West is working on a second location in Sioux Falls and plans to expand to Rapid City next year.
The restaurant in the West Sioux neighborhood, which is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, will be closed Saturday and into next week.
“I’m taking everybody that’s put the work in, those that got us to where we are, because it’s not just me. … I couldn’t ask for a better team, more dedicated people. They deserve to be a part of it.”
Watecha Bowl will sell food Sunday at Foundation Park in Rapid City. The location for the taping Monday hasn’t been finalized yet, West said.
Correspondent Cecelia Vega will be doing the interview, he said.
West said he’s humbled by the attention Watecha Bowl is receiving and thankful for the customers who have supported the business in the short time since it opened.
“I’m just a small-town kid. I grew up here, but I worked hard and stayed determined. Now, I’m a proud owner. I’m proud of the community. I’m glad I have the customer base and have the relationships I do with my customers. … At the end of the day, it’s the customers who go out of their way to make sure businesses are here.”
