Sidetrack in Florence is back in business following August 28th fire

January 11, 2024
Mike Tanner

FLORENCE, S.D.–Several months after a fire closed them down, the Sidetrack Bar and Grill in Florence has re-built and is back in business.

The August 28th fire was caused by a faulty exhaust fan in the men’s bathroom. The fire burned through the roof of the building and gutted the bar and dining area. There were no injuries.

Owner A.J. Hanson tells KWAT News “as long as the insurance company cooperated, we knew we were going to rebuild. It’s our livelihood, but it’s also part of the community. We need to have something here in Florence, and this is where we all go.”

The kitchen and dining areas have been fully re-built. Hanson says it gave him an opportunity to, “go to the drawing board and make some changes.”

The Sidetrack now has an expanded dining area featuring a modern rustic decor, and a kitchen area that has bascially doubled in size.

The west end of the building, which was used for axe throwing before the fire, is now casino space with 10 video lottery machines.

Hanson says some work is still being buttoned up in the kitchen area and because of that, they’re not opening until 5 p.m. But that’ll change on January 22nd, when they’ll be back to their normal hours of operation with an 11 a.m. opening time daily.

Hanson says a grand opening with food and drink specials will be held sometime in the spring, “when the weather warms up.”

Before that, they’ve got a Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed planned for January 20th beginning at noon.

Hanson says a special thank you goes out to his loyal customers and employees for their patience while they were rebuilding.