It hasn’t been an easy year for Vonnie Larsen.
As part owner of The Keg restaurants in Sioux Falls, Larsen has felt the pinch of a sour economy. With many customers cooking at home to cut back on expenses, Larsen has seen many of her regulars drop from a few nights a week to just a few days a month.
Luckily for her, The Keg has established itself as a local favorite with its specialty, fried chicken. The restaurant, purchased in 1979 by Larsen’s in-laws, has survived the good and bad years of the economy, even expanding several times to accommodate a growing demand. Their secret? Holding steadfast in its secret chicken recipe and customers’ need to feel the comforts of “home.”
“That’s what fried chicken is, it’s a comfort food,” says Larsen.
Comfort food it is. The Keg offers a lunch buffet every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, beans, coleslaw, dinner rolls, shredded chicken and a few other rotating dishes such as spicy chicken and BBQ chicken. I sampled the buffet on a Sunday afternoon, which ran me a whopping $7.99 with my drink. Not bad for an all-you-can-eat chicken dinner.
I went the way of white meat, getting a massive chicken breast, as well as beans, coleslaw and potatoes and gravy. The potatoes and gravy were a bit salty for my taste and the coleslaw was a little heavy on the dill (there were actual pieces of pickle in the slaw, I believe). The baked beans, however, were fantastic. They were sweeter than most, but had a great flavor and consistency that could easily make me eat my $7.99 worth.
Of course, the chicken was delicious. The breading was crispy but not overly greasy and the meat was juicy and tender. Unlike many other experiences I’ve had with fried food, I didn’t feel fatter the instant I ate it. The whole meal was filling and achieved Larsen’s goal — comfort.
The restaurants have 50 fryers between the two of them, and aside from their everyday use of serving customers in store, The Keg is well known for its large catering abilities. In the past, they’ve catered such large events as Sturdevant’s Customer Appreciation days (with over 4,000 pieces of chicken), and regularly cater for O’Gorman High School.
The Keg underwent an in-store change in March, when they decided to go completely non-smoking. Larsen surveyed customers for about three weeks, and after an overwhelming majority showed support for the idea, she decided to nix cigarettes in the restaurant. She says she’s had a very positive response and has seen an increase in families frequenting the establishments.
The idea seems fitting, especially since the business is a family affair itself. The three owners: Larsen, her husband Neil, and their friend John Cassidy, have a combination of nine children. Since The Keg originally belonged to Neil’s parents, Lonnie hopes one of the kids will show an interest in taking over. Currently, the restaurant has two locations: 26th Street and Sycamore Avenue, and 57th Street and Marion Road, with Cassidy and family running the west side location, and Larsen and her husband running the east location.
The owners take their family-friendly attitude one step further and sponsor several sports teams throughout Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls Fusion Softball team is one of the better-known, but The Keg sponsors pool, dart and bowling teams as well.
It’s this sense of community that keeps Larsen and the restaurant afloat during rough years. Larsen says that despite the current economic hardship, she continues to maintain hope for the future. And with a business model and chicken recipe like hers, she should.
Ratings (out of 5)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4.5
Price: 5
Service: 4
Overall:4.5
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Tasty chicken dinners withstand economic woes by Roxy Hammond http://bit.ly/bNPqEa http://bit.ly/9iZnKq
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Her name is Vonnie, not Lonnie
Hey Roxy…Just want to send a big thank you for a great review you posted on the Keg. I truly enjoyed visiting with you on Sunday and I love to share the Keg history. I hope we can see you again in the near future. Keep up the good work!
The Keg is great!