My 605: Jon Oppold

What’s home unless you make it your own? My 605 takes you inside the lives, loves and little secrets of those who call South Dakota – area code 605 – home. 

This week’s My 605 is Jon Oppold, co-owner of Sunny’s Pizzeria and owner of pigeon Burt.

My home in the 605 is: My wife, Katy, and I live in a Cape Cod-style home in the Mark Twain neighborhood with our four kids and three dogs. Really, though, all of central Sioux Falls feels like home because we used to live close to Augustana University, and I feel so connected to that neighborhood after two years of making pizza at Sunny’s. I’m an old-house enthusiast, and I just love the character and history in central Sioux Falls.

The biggest reason I live in the 605 is: I was born and raised in the Sioux Falls area, and I am connected to so many friends and family members here that it would be hard to leave. Beyond that, however, it’s been exciting to watch Sioux Falls transition and grow during my lifetime. Downtown Sioux Falls has become such a fun place to go to socialize, and for a city of its size, Sioux Falls is just such a safe and affordable place to raise a family.

After home, I spend the most time here: Sunny’s Pizzeria — as the owner-operator of a tiny little neighborhood restaurant, it feels like I’m always at the pizzeria. It’s such a small place that hiring a full-time manager — so far — isn’t economically viable, so I spend most of my days prepping ingredients, cooking pizzas, fixing things in the restaurant, ordering food, doing the payroll, you name it. My to-do list is always full, but it’s a labor of love, so to speak.

When I need to get away, you’ll find me: At a local brewery. When I have planning to do or just need a moment to decompress and reflect, nothing beats having a beer at a brewery and just taking a moment to myself. The breweries in town have such a great atmosphere for that — it’s generally more of an adult crowd, but the vibe is casual and unassuming, which makes them a great spot to have a conversation over drinks as well. I do a lot of meetings at breweries for that same reason.

The best meal I ever ate in the 605 was at: Bros Brasserie Americano — I miss that place. However, these days, I am particularly addicted to the Pork Belly Gyro from Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen, although there are so many amazing locally owned restaurants in town that I frequent like Watecha Bowl, Kaladi’s, The Pickle Barrel, Swamp Daddy’s, Gregg’s Substation, Mama’s Phried & Phillys, Lam’s — seriously, how much time do you have? I could go on and on. We really have a great food scene in Sioux Falls.

My go-to coffee shop is: Generally, The Source because I can tuck myself away in a corner inside the Jones Building and get some work done, but I find myself going to The Breaks more and more because they have that kind of neighborhood vibe that I appreciate.

Honestly, I was a huge fan of Black Sheep Coffee — R.I.P. — back in the day, and both The Source and The Breaks were started by ex-Black Sheep employees — if I’m not mistaken — so the coffee is freshly roasted and really strong at both spots, so you can’t really go wrong.

My favorite place to grab an adult beverage in the 605 is: As mentioned above, love going to the breweries — I’d say Obscure, Remedy, Severance, WoodGrain and Covert are some of my go-tos. Otherwise, my wife, Katy, and I like to hit up some of the cocktail bars downtown like the Carpenter Bar, The Hello Hi, DaDa Gastropub and the Highball.

When I need to experience the great outdoors, you’ll find me: Out at Tuthill Park — a lot of people think of Tuthill as the sledding hill, but if you haven’t gone hiking on the trails out there during the summer, you’re missing out.

Plus, I’ve really gotten into disc golf lately, and my two oldest kids are into it as well, so it’s our little outdoor getaway in the summers.

The spot I’d recommend for a date is: If you’re looking for a great dinner and a romantic environment, Chef Lance’s is a great place to take a date. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with TapHouse 41. They have a full bar, and their burgers are delicious.

The best pizza in the 605 is: I feel like I have a conflict of interest here. Sunny’s won in a blind taste test earlier this fall, and I think we do thin crust better than anyone — but I’m super biased, so you better just stop out and try it for yourself. 😉

When my friends and I get together, you’ll probably find us: Since things have reopened after COVID, I’d say either at EightyOne Arcade Bar or Vinyl Social Club.

I love playing games over drinks — it’s like my favorite thing — and EightyOne’s barcade concept is a fun, nostalgic place to hang out for ’80s and ’90s kids like me and my friends.

The place you never can go wrong taking kids is: Air Madness, although the Kirby Science Center at the Washington Pavilion is a close second. My kids go nuts for Air Madness, and after an hour or two of jumping, bedtime is a snap — which I know my fellow parents can appreciate.

When I want to meet new people in the 605 I go: To work. As with many folks in my generation, I graduated college with a boatload of school debt, so my wife and I always had a second part-time job all the way up until I started the pizzeria. I bartended at Monks and worked at Pomegranate Market while she worked at Yankee Candle, the Loft and at our church, and I feel like we’ve made our most meaningful connections through our jobs. Not that you can’t meet people going out to events or enjoying the nightlife in Sioux Falls, but typically people end up going out in groups, which can make it hard to meet new people unless you’re a real go-hard extrovert.

My best memory in the 605 is: Probably when we adopted our oldest two boys. We had some of our closest friends and family present at the courthouse, and it was a very emotional time for my Katy and I. My wife and I have four wonderful boys, the oldest two are adopted through foster care, and the youngest two are currently foster kids that we are planning to adopt at some point in 2022.

The one thing I’m least crazy about in the 605 is: Pretty predictable: the weather. As a lifelong resident, I often fantasize about what it’d be like to live somewhere like San Diego where it’s seemingly always 75 degrees and sunny. The winters here are long, and the seasonal depression struggle is real. A lot of people that live here love snow, but I’m over it. Winter weather in the 605 isn’t my jam, but I deal with it like everyone else.

And finally, life in pictures. Here are the top three photos that most sum up My 605: