Brooke Warner had been a natural wine enthusiast for some time, but found selections were hard to come by in her hometown of Rapid City.
When a retail space opened up next door to Bokujo Ramen, the restaurant she owns with her husband, she was sure a natural wine bar would fit the vacant space nicely.
“BB’s Natural is all about natural wines and chill vibes,” stated Brooke.
Wrapped in pink and teal details, BB’s Natural serves natural or low-intervention wines, which are organically, sustainably, or biodynamically farmed. Customers can pair the eclectic wines with cheese and charcuterie boards from around the globe, as well as tinned fish from the Mediterranean and North Atlantic.
Brooke ensures that every customer, no matter what their background is in wine, will feel at home.
“We are a wine bar without any pretension,” she explained. “We want everyone to feel welcome at BB’s, whether you are simply wine curious or a big-time enthusiast.”
Brooke shared more about her and her husband Justin’s passions outside of running their two businesses.
Five Random Facts
1. We just welcomed our first baby to the world. We found out just before opening BB’s Natural, so being surrounded by so many delicious wines was mildly tortuous, but now we’ve got an adorable babe and all the wines. it’s a win-win.
2. Justin and I met ages ago in Colorado at Sushi JeJuin Fort Collins. We didn’t spark a romantic relationship until we ended up in New York working together at the MICHELIN– starred restaurant, TheModern.
3. We lived in an RV for a year before settling down. We thought about living in New Orleans and the Pacific Northwest, but we are happy to call Rapid City home.
4. Justin is a regular on many Food Network programs, but I also appeared on an episode of Food Network’s “Guy’sGrocery Games.“
5. We have two dogs and a cat. One of our dogs, a Shiba Inu, is often found sunbathing in the bay window of our house.
“We are excited to share what we know about our wines, and we are constantly learning as well.” – Brooker Warner
DOWNTOWN ENTHUSIASTS
Justin and I consider ourselves “downtown people,” and love that there are so many great businesses within walking distance from our own. We have a decent record collection at home and knew we wanted to play vinyl at BB’s Natural, so having Black Hills Vinyl just a block away is awesome.
TOTALLY VINTAGE
Garbage Tail Vintage, Elan’s VintageBoutique, and Decade’s Vintage Clothes are thriving vintage clothing scenes, and they are the highlights of downtown. While I love thrifting, these aren’t thrift stores. The highly curated clothes are special relics of a different time. I know I’m likely to find a gem without the extra time that thrifting requires.
POP CULTURE PROPS
Justin is a huge pop culture nerd, and if you’ve seen our other business, Bokujo Ramen, it’s quickly becoming a museum of his passions—these are often fueled by community gems like Storyteller Comics & Games, Heroes and Villains, and St.Joe Antiques Mall. He’s found all sorts of treasures from Japan and beyond.
FLYING FISH FANATIC
Another one of Justin’s passions is fly fishing here in the small streams of the Black Hills. Dakota Angler & Outfitter is a fantastic business run by friends of ours. The whole team there makes even the most inexperienced feel welcome and can make fly fishing approachable for anyone.
HIKES AND HOPS
Lost Cabin Beer Co. and M Hill are a great one-two punch. M Hill is home to world-class mountain bikin trails and hikes. We’ve seen all sorts of wildlife there and even foraged some Lobster Mushrooms. Lost Cabin Beer Co. is just across the way and is the perfect place to restore some liquid calories after a long hike. Their beers are fun and approachable, and the staff clearly loves what they do.
NATURAL FOODIES
We are food obsessed, so having the bustling Black HillsFarmersMarket from spring through fall is so exciting. We love getting mushrooms from Black Hills Mushrooms and checking out all the other offerings. We get even more amazing products and healthy options at Breadroot Natural Foods Co-op, as well. When it comes to spicing up our cooking process, having BB’s Natural kitty-corner from Staple & Spice Market is also super convenient.
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