Talking Business

Nathan Lynch may be just 15 years old, but he has plenty of skating experience to share with customers at his family’s new business, Rocket Scooter & Skate in Spearfish.

“He hasn’t ridden a bicycle all year,” said his father, David Lynch. “He’s probably got 200 or 300 miles on his longboard.” Nathan and his sister Hannah, are the real reason for the shop, which opened Nov. 17 at 541 West Jackson Blvd. near Killian’s Steakhouse.

“We have two teenagers that are both very much into longboarding, and we decided to make a board one day,” said David, who’s a craftsman by trade. “My wife, Krista, is interested in scootering … (and) we just worked into an idea of combining the scooter and the skateboards together.”

Rocket Scooter & Skate carries a big variety of skateboards and “a good healthy line” of longboards, including Landyachtz, Loaded, Arbor, and Lynch’s own Trophy Longboards, which he makes from cherry, maple and walnut hardwoods. The shop also carries parts and hardware for skateboards and longboards, as well as safety gear and skate apparel such as hoodies and backpacks. They hope to eventually sell shoes as well.

Rocket Scooter & Skate also sells 50cc and 150cc retro-style scooters and mopeds by Motorino. They sell parts, too, and they can repair and service scooters.

David grew up skateboarding in southern California. The new business has inspired him to get back to skating himself, but don't expect to see him doing tricks at the Spearfish skate park anytime soon. “If I did that I’d just be laying there until the paramedics showed up,” he said with a laugh.

In fact, plenty of people DO know the Kuchen Man, also known as Joel Schwader, who sells his homemade desserts, rolls and breads at the Farmer’s Market each summer. In 2009, he sold more than 3,000 of the South Dakota state dessert, a pie-sized custard pastry with German origins.

Schwader sold kuchen through local grocery stores for a time but stopped when the price of cream would have forced him to raise his prices. Now the Kuchen Man has found a new home at The Beanery Deli & Bakery.

“They were looking for a baker,” he said. “In wintertime, things slow down for me, and I thought, well, this might be a good fit.”

So far it’s worked out great for both Schwader and The Beanery. “He, of course, was a great (job) candidate, with his experience and what he could offer,” said restaurant owner Lisa Holbrook.

Schwader now makes all the bread for The Beanery and its contract sites, Western Dakota Technical Institute and Camp Rapid. He kneads all the dough by hand. "It just gives a better bread," he said.

Schwader’s kuchen — which he calls "the best comfort food I know” — is now sold by the slice and whole at The Beanery at 201 Main St. Schwader’s kuchen comes in apple, peach, raspberry, cottage cheese, rhubarb, strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb and triple berry.

Herbst, who is married to Sturgis native Robert Herbst, operated a restaurant in Colorado for 10 years. She took over Tillie’s in mid-October, saying she plans to build on the current menu rather than make big changes.

Tillie’s is now open at 6:30 a.m., serving breakfast sandwiches on Black Hills Bagels along with Dark Canyon coffee. A variety of soups, sandwiches and salads is also on the menu, including specialty sandwiches such as the Cuban and Buffalo Chicken.

Diners can also choose to have their sandwich fixings on a wrap, cooked on the Panini press or served on a fresh spinach salad.

“I may be biased, but I believe we have the best deli sandwiches in town,” said Herbst, whose business sits at the corner of Junction Avenue and Main Street.