Bakery adds metropolitan feel, authentic flavor to downtown scene

The story behind Sioux Falls’ Queen City Bakery is as sweet as the treats sold at the cosmopolitan-inspired coffee shop.

Future bakery owners Kristine and Mitch Jackson first met in the South of France while teaching English in the small town of Thèbe, a short 20 kilometer jaunt from the Spanish border. It was a storied beginning to a delicious love story.

After moving to New York City together, the two became involved in the baking world almost by pure happenstance.

Mitch describes walking through New York’s West Village with Kristine one day and spotting a small bakery called the Polka Dot Cake Studio. The rest is history.

Photo courtesy of Emily Wissink

Kristine applied and started work in the front of the shop serving coffee and desserts. Curious about what went on behind the scenes, Kristine asked owner/head chef Ayse Dizioglu for a few tips, leading to her education in cake baking and decorating.

“Kristine had a natural ability and ended up taking over that kitchen just a short while after learning her craft,” Mitch said.

Photo courtesy of Kaylyn Deiter

After stints at Brooklyn’s Baked, the Martha Stewart Show and the Today Show, Kristine and Mitch decided to try something different. Hailing from the Midwest, the couple chose to come back to the town where Mitch was born and raised.

“We knew that we wanted to open up our own place and New York is definitely not the place for us to do that,” Mitch said. “We wanted to be closer to family, raise our own family and slow down a little bit.”

And so, Queen City was born. Opening in 2008, Mitch said the shop got its name from a little-known Sioux Falls moniker, the town going by “The Queen City” until the 1940s. “When I heard that nickname, Queen City Bakery immediately popped into my head,” Mitch said.

Photo courtesy of Kaylyn Deiter

At the outset, Queen City was a two-person operation. From baking and bookkeeping to sales and dishes, Kristine and Mitch did it all. Over the past eight years the shop’s staff has slowly grown, currently rounding out at nine plus the two owners. But that doesn’t mean Mitch and Kristine have relaxed their responsibilities.

Both still start their days when most would be happily snoozing for a couple more hours. Mitch typically arrives at the bakery around 4:15 a.m. to get the accounting in order, while Kristine pops in at 5 a.m. to start baking for the day.

“Kristine and I get to do things how we feel they should be done,” Mitch said. “We don’t cut any corners when it comes to our products. We use the best ingredients, we make everything from scratch and we never compromise on the labor aspect either. If we don’t make it, we don’t serve it.”

Photo courtesy of Kaylyn Deiter

This adherence to product authenticity has gone a long way toward making Queen City one of the most iconic bakeries/coffee shops in Sioux Falls. With its industrial meets farmhouse feel, made from scratch pastries and no decaf mantra, the shop is metropolitan in its ambience with customer service driven by that small-town sensibility. Mitch and Kristine wouldn’t have it any other way.

Photo courtesy of Emily Wissink

“We felt like people in Sioux Falls wanted that cosmopolitan feel, and we thought we could offer them that feeling without them having to drive to Omaha or Minneapolis,” Mitch said. “I think we have created a real community since we opened in 2008. We not only have die hard fans, but we continually add to our customer base through our reputation and super high quality. I think it’s safe to say that whatever you buy here will be the best you’ve ever had!”