Jodi Schwan

jschwan@sfbusinessjournal.com

A North-Dakota based Irish restaurant owner has bought enough property on Phillips Avenue to take over three storefronts.

Matt Geiger, owner of Blarney Stone Irish Pub, purchased the retail building on Phillips Avenue north of Twelfth Street from Jack Egge.

Blarney Stone will occupy more than 5,000 square feet, said Scott Blount of Lloyd Cos., who put the deal together.

The storefronts on Phillips include the former Touch of Europe, Mi Tierra Mexican Restaurant and the former Shues space.

“Matt will completely remodel the inside and outside of the Phillips Avenue property and build out Blarney Stone Irish Pub,” Blount said. “He has been looking for a Sioux Falls location for several years, but it was always important that he be on Phillips Avenue. I was able to secure a listing from the owners of that property, and it turned out to be a great fit for what we was looking for.”

Blarney Stone has locations in downtown Bismarck and in West Fargo.

The menu includes 36 beers on tap and a broad selection of food, including several sirloins, fish and chips, steak stroganoff, burgers, sandwiches, salads, appetizers and desserts.

“We’re very excited to finally be a part of Sioux Falls,” Geiger said. “We’re just starting to put some floorplans together, and it’s part of the historic district, so keeping that in mind we want to makes sure the building’s appearance is going to fit and look good in Sioux Falls.”

The hope is to start construction early next year and by open no later than fall, he said.

Egge also sold his Egge Automatic Transition Service building at 104 W. 12th St. It was bought by the Houwman family, which is developing the nearby Washington Square building. That space is about 6,000 square feet.

“They are completely remodeling the building inside and out to restore the historical look and turning it into office space,” Blount said.