The Dive pop-up kitchen brings new concept to Sioux Falls; owners hoping to grow venture

Nine months ago, retired substitute teacher and football coach Jeff Von Holtum never would have thought about starting a restaurant, but when his old military friend, Allen Wright, reached out to him with the idea, he went for it.

The two hadn't even hung out in nearly three years, and now they run The Dive out of a pop-up kitchen in the Gaslight Lounge on 12th Avenue. 

“When we saw the Gaslight had a kitchen open for rent, we jumped on it,” Wright said.

That was at the end of January. By Valentine's Day, The Dive was up and running. 

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"It just kind of happened," Von Holtum said.

Since then, business has been going well, they said, but they’re already looking at ways to add to the adventure. 

Not your average dive bar food

Pop-up restaurants are not a new concept, but it is new for Sioux Falls.

“You just pop-up, you’re there, and you leave,” Wright said. “There's something unique about it. It's very short-lived and ever-evolving.” 

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A dive bar is typically described as being a small, inexpensive, old-style bar with sub-par food, but Wright says that’s not the case here. 

While the prices are still relatively average, The Dive features homemade burgers, chicken, chislic, sandwiches, and appetizers. Von Holtum called it authentic, all-American food.

Their goal is to keep items on the menu as fresh as possible, like having locally-grown mushrooms dipped in beer batter (a fan-favorite) and bacon they skinned themselves. 

“We’re providing an experience you can’t get anywhere else – from a dive bar, anyway,” Wright said. “Our main reason for doing it this way is so we don’t get bored and so we can challenge ourselves,” he added.

All of the sauces are also homemade, including the classic ketchup and specialties like their remoulade sauce. Their next step is to start selling their sauces, which has been a popular ask by the customers. 

Spreading the word via food trailer

Because Gaslight doesn’t scream “family friendly,” said Von Holtum, the two are trying to get the word out about The Dive and attract people there. 

That includes going to events like Highball, Pride and the Meadowlands festival in Alexandria. They’ve been pulling the trailer with the truck, but they haven’t decided to go all in with a food truck yet.

“We’re baby-stepping it right now,” Von Holtum said. “We’re trying to make a good and fun environment for people to come to and give them a taste of our food.”

They’ll also be at WoodGrain Brewery on July 8 and 22, the Four Winds Music Festival in Sioux City July 29 and 30, and Food Truck Mondays at Dells Auto in August.

On October 1, they’ll bring their trailer to a disc golf tournament, which Wright is really excited for. 

“It’s an untapped market,” he said. “I feel like that’d be a lot of fun since I’m really into disc golf, and that’s what this is all about – doing something that’s fun.”

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Learning and growing with new locations, themed events

Von Holtum loves cooking for other people, but he didn’t have the experience Wright did, as the former head chef at Monks, so Wright’s been teaching him more about cooking. 

“There are a lot of things I’ve had to learn since I’d never been in the industry before, but that’s another reason we get along,” Von Holtum said. Despite their differences, the two said they work well together and are always down for a good laugh.

They even joked that their motto is “We’re pretty alright,” and the slogan is “You’re welcome.”

“There’s no reason for us to not have fun doing what we do,” Von Holtum said. “If we’re not having fun, what’s the point?”

Wright and Von Holtum said they’re always looking for new places to open up temporary shop, but it’s been a bit difficult. 

“The problem is that most landlords don't want a business that’s just going to be in and out," Wright said, “so it would be great if others got on board and there could be rotating pop-ups.”

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The two have been tossing around the idea of having themed events and other fun things, such as dressing up in medieval clothing. For now, The Gaslight is The Dive's indefinite location.

With nothing set in stone, Wright and Von Holtum said they’re just waiting to see what happens.

“We planted the seed, and it’s just growing into what it is,” Wright said. “We won’t force it. We enjoy it, our customers enjoy it, and for now that’s all that matters.”

The Dive is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the Gaslight Lounge.