Black Hills Bistro opens in Hill City

Dreams can come true, even if it takes 20 years for them to be fulfilled. That’s what Black Hills Bistro owner Jen Schmoll has learned after the first week of her new restaurant opening. Jen runs the new Hill City breakfast and lunch spot with her mom Carol Speirs; collectively the women have 30 years of experience in the restaurant business. 

Schmoll is from Hill City and is excited to be doing what she loves in her hometown.

“I’ve always had a vision,” Jen said. In college she had to create a restaurant for a class project. She knew exactly what she wanted, a place where she could put her heart into making homemade food that is “expressive.” She likes putting her own spin on classics.

“The weirder I can be, the better,” she said. 

The Black Hills Bistro menu offers that “spin” with funky items like a breakfast pizza, which is essentially biscuits and gravy with eggs and cheese on top, eaten as a pizza.

The Black Hills Bistro french toast is on a one-inch Brioche bread and comes in various flavors. This past week it was pumpkin battered french toast; the week prior it was chai spiced.

A yogurt sundae, which can best be described as a banana split with yogurt, as well as an avocado toast, which is a spin on eggs benedict, are also on the bistro’s menu. There are various “on the run” offerings like a breakfast burrito or breakfast taco. Jen thinks it’s important to have items for locals who drive through Hill City on their way to work. 

Right now, the bistro is serving breakfast all day. For lunch, the restaurant serves a daily soup and a wide variety of sandwiches. They also always have a red chili. 

The menu is extensive and evolving, as the women figure out what works and what doesn’t.

“We have only so much space, so the menu is a work in progress,” Jen says. She adds that “every day is a learning experience.” 

What Jen and Carol have learned is how to satisfy their customers. All the baked goods are made from scratch. And the women are going out of their way to give customers what they want.

”We will bake any pie anyone wants,” Jen said.

 In fact the pair just had a customer ask via Facebook  if they make holiday pies. Another family requested a dozen scones for Thanksgiving.

“We’re not wanting to limit ourselves,” Jen said, while calling herself adventurous.

“We love to make cupcakes, cheesecakes and cakes,” she said.

In fact the women had thought of opening  a bakery but were unsure if they could pay the bills that way. 

The restaurant business can be a challenge for other reasons, such as high employee turnover. Right now, Jen and Carol run the bistro themselves with lots of support from friends and family. They don’t want to hire employees they may have to let go if things slow down in January or February.

“We want to earn the trust of our employees and customers,” Jen said.

She was humbled by her friends’ “graciousness” to help.

“It’s awesome to have people like that. You need a support system whenever you start a business,” Jen said.

She knows a good work- life balance is also crucial, which is why the bistro is closed Sundays. 

The Black Hills Bistro is occupying the space that most recently housed Ricos. Jen describes the restaurant as a place one can “feel the love” and where a customer can get a “good local cup of coffee.” 

The women take great pride in what they make.

“We want to be a bigger part of the community than we ever have. This is what we love and we want everyone to love what we do,” Jen said. 

Even the name, Black Hills Bistro, had to convey the distinctiveness Jen and Carol bring to the table.

“A bistro is a small restaurant. The perception is it’s a little different and it’s high quality,” she said. 

Plus, she adds, her mom had a dream about a bistro so “we had to have it.”

The Black Hills Bistro is located at 148 Main Street in Hill City and is open Wednesday - Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.