Sioux Falls soon will have a place for off-track betting as The SandBar & Grill expands and rebrands.
The new name Railbirds is a reference to the term used to describe racing spectators, especially those who watch horse races from the railing along the track.
Off-track betting includes horse, dog and harness racing, which is separate from sports wagering that’s legal in South Dakota only in Deadwood.
Railbirds is owned by Tim Stupka and Rick McKinney, who owned an off-track betting location in North Sioux City for 17 years, as well as Eric Ward and Eric Schofield, who are partners with the other two in Session Ale Works.
They purchased The SandBar, which is at 2310 S. Marion Road in the Lake Lorraine development, from Josh Van Dyke, the restaurant’s chef, who is staying on to run the kitchen.
“We think there have been six OTBs in the Sioux Falls market in the last 25 years, but none of them have ever offered food,” Stupka said…