Jeff Hayward mixed his love for South Dakota with ’80s and ’90s video game nostalgia to create Sodak Supply Company in 2018. Featuring t-shirt and coffee mug designs, the online store is branching out into new retro looks and are excited for what the new year has in store. 605 chatted with Hayward to get a look into his everyday life in Sioux Falls. 

My wife, Kristin, and I launched Sodak Supply Company earlier this year and have been really excited by the response. Not only do we have items for adult males and females, but there are also options for kids. When we launched, our initial designs were all specifically video game related, but we always planned to branch out a bit. We want to trigger nostalgia in our customers. My favorite design hands down is our Captain 11 Crew Member shirt, but I’m pretty excited to wear on of our newest designs themed after Donkey Kong.

I’m an Eagle Scout and was even once a national youth leader with the Sioux Council, Boy Scouts of America program. I was just recently appointed to our local council’s executive board, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of a program that provides leadership and life skill to youth in our local community and throughout the state.

When my wife was a local DJ in her 20’s, Top Hat [Bar] was her haunt. Now it’s become a great stop for us and friends to get together for stiff drinks, good tunes, and great conversation. You’ll see people from every walk of life here with no pretension.

When I was a kid, we would sit down as a family and play board games – Life, Monopoly, Cribbage, and Rummy. In recent years, I’ve gotten back into the board gaming hobby and was so happy when Amanda and Ben Wermers opened up The Game Chest. They’ve created more than just a beautiful store—they’ve created a community. I think a lot of us could use less screen time and more spent with real people—board games provide an opportunity to do that.

A couple of years ago, my wife and I visited Portland with some friends. The beer was great, but I kept thinking, there’s better beer in the town I live in! While I love all of our local breweries, WoodGrain Brewing Co. is my favorite. The beer is great, the taproom has a good vibe, and the three owners are good people. Speaking of… I think I’m going to go get a pint.

The Bonus Round is awesome. I mean, we did start a company that makes video game-themed merch, so… yeah, we like playing arcade games. This place is perfect. Great beer selection, vintage games, and even pinball are great for when I’m in the mood to be incredibly frustrated (I’m not good at them).

If you ever ask me where I’d like to eat, it’s Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen. It actually drives my wife nuts sometimes. Everything on the menu is fantastic, though I find myself ordering the burger almost every time we go, and I don’t even particularly like hamburgers!

When I have out-of-town friends visit, we take them to Bros Brasserie Americano. Even my friend from Louisiana was impressed with the Gumbo. It’s a staple, especially for breakfast/brunch.

Sioux Falls has a great music scene, not just with regional and national acts but also local musicians. There’s no better place to see it then Icon Lounge, and Kristin and I are there often. Icon also hosts a number of events for organizations that we’re proud to support and be a part of, so hats off to these folks.

For more information, visit sodaksupply.com.

RANDOM FACTS:

My wife and I have two rescue dogs, and they’re both awesome.

French fries can be eaten with one condiment only: ketchup covered with pepper. Try it and tell me I’m wrong.

My wife and I dated in high school, but we’re not really sweethearts, because we broke up and went different ways. Ten years later we met each other again, and the rest is history.

My guilty pleasure is eating Chile Rellenos from Casa Del Rey.

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