The Hello Hi

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States

Opened in mid November of 2020.

The Hello Hi is a bartender-owned cocktail lounge, located in the old Half-Baked space at 120 S. Phillips Ave., across the street from the Phillips Avenue Diner.

Owners Patrick Nelson and Sara Benson describe the Hello Hi as a "classic-style bar". The two University of South Dakota grads bring years of experience in the Sioux Falls bar and restaurant scene to their venture.

So what is a "classic style bar", you might ask? The answer seems to be one that is steeped in nostalgia for mid-century and 70s decor. With a tilt toward the tropical (lots of plants and rattan furniture). And a menu that is mostly tiki or tropical-based cocktails.

It's not a tiki bar but overlaps with tiki bars on the Venn Diagram of tiki adjacent or tiki-friendly places to explore. It is an immersive space that transports you back a few decades while you sip your tropical beverage of choice.