The Source Roastery and Taproom: New look, Same Quality Coffee

If you are from Sioux Falls, or if you are a coffee lover, you may have heard of the new coffee roastery and taproom, The Source.

The Source officially opened its doors early this year. Dakota Coffee Roasters, the company behind the former Black Sheep coffeehouse, decided to open up a new store after Black Sheep closed. This was due to the fact that the building where the coffee shop had been located for years was demolished last year. Grange Avenue plaza was demolished to create space for the new Kum & Go gas station.

The Source, located inside Jones 421 building at Phillips Avenue, offers world-class coffee as well as signature beers from the artisan breweries and is seen as an upgrade of Black Sheep coffeehouse by the business owners. The residents of Sioux Falls also seem to agree.

“I am glad; Black Sheep is back as a better brand. The new place is an upgrade of the previous one,” James Black, a regular customer says.

The Source, which serves coffee roasted by Matthew Pitts, a renowned longtime coffee roaster, also intends to sell specialty coffee both at retail and wholesale to the entire world.

Co-owner Kristin Chau says she thought it was wise to grow the already established coffee brand, and at the same time maintain the commitment to ensure that it is the same high-quality coffee they are known for.

“We love the idea of serving hand-crafted products that focus on the quality of ingredients along with the artisanship skill that influences the production,” Kristin says.

“I really like the coffee here,” USF sophomore Alexis Jellema-Baerg says. “It is rich in flavor, but still has the bitter taste of coffee that I like.”

Alexis adds that the Source is a great place to study.

“I love doing homework here, the natural lighting is great. It’s a very relaxing setting.”

If you had been to the previous coffeeshop, you will notice the great difference the new shop has. The new shop is an update of the brand, and the modern industrial design of the place speaks for itself.

The business has taken efforts of family members to give it a look it currently has.

Haley Rodgers, Chau’s sister and a designer for HR Interior Design, is the designer of the place. She was able to draw the interior design that would meet both the needs of coffee and beer drinkers. The wooden table in this new location has been made by Chau’s father, who got some help from a family friend. A look at the tables will tell you that time and effort were put in making them.

The location is not on a busy street where there are a lot of hooting cars, noise, and smoke. The lighting both during the day and night makes this almost seem like the perfect spot. The use of glass walls and lightings that hang from the different spots at intervals give the room a natural lighting.

In addition to serving coffee, The Source also has a 16 self-serve tap wall, which includes a selection of beers and ciders that have been handpicked by Chau and her team.

The new location is utilizing the iPourt technology on beer self-service. The beer drinkers are given an electronic card that permits them to pick and choose the wide variety of beer selection before paying by the ounce. This card is reset by the employee after every 32 ounces.

Customers also say they are pleased with the customer service. Ryan Pennington, a regular at The Source says that he enjoys that the staff are all so knowledgeable and friendly.

“I appreciate the good coffee, but I also like that they have other beverage options as well,” Pennington adds.

The Source occasionally has live music to entertain guests. You can check out their website for scheduled events.

The Source is open 6.30am to 10:00pm Monday through Thursday. On Friday it runs from 6:30am to 11:00 pm. Saturdays and Sundays, the doors open at 8:00 am and close at 11:00pm on Saturday and 10:00 pm on Sunday.