Local first
Honey from Hill City. Eggs from a farm outside Spearfish. Cream from a co-op near Sturgis. Grain milled in Sioux Falls. Coffee green-sourced through a partner who pays well above fair-trade.
Our Story
A small bakery, with a long view.
We started Rushsmore because a good s'more is one of the great American pleasures, and the Black Hills deserved one of its own.
Why a s'mores bakery
The s'more is built around a fire — a thing you make at the end of a long day outside, with people you like, while the light goes orange and then dark. We wanted to bring that feeling indoors without losing it: a real fire (well, a torch), real chocolate, marshmallows we cut by hand, graham crackers we baked that morning.
The pun was free.
About the name
Rushsmore is a play on words, not a tribute. We are not affiliated with the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the National Park Service, or any presidential likeness. We chose the name because it made us laugh, and because we love this corner of the country and wanted something rooted to it.
You'll notice our menu is named for places, not people: the Black Hills, the Needles, the Badlands, Spearfish Canyon, Sylvan Lake. These are the things we drove to as kids and still drive to as adults. They felt like the right things to name a sandwich after.
About the Hills
This land is the ancestral home of the Lakota and other tribes of the Oceti Sakowin. We try to be a thoughtful neighbor — sourcing from local growers and producers when we can, lifting up Indigenous-led businesses when we have the chance, and naming things with care. If we ever get something wrong, please tell us; we'd rather hear it.
How we work
A few small commitments that shape every day.
Made daily, sold daily
Pastry baked between 4 and 7 a.m. Whatever's left at noon is half off. Whatever's left at close goes to Feeding South Dakota. We'd rather bake less and finish empty.
People, paid well
We post a starting wage on the door, not just a "competitive" line in the job ad. Tips are pooled and shared with the kitchen. Healthcare for full-time staff.
Real chocolate
Single-origin where it makes sense, fair-trade always. We'd rather use less of a great bar than more of a cheap one.
The fire is the point
Every s'more is toasted to order at the bar with a small torch (or, on the right evenings, the patio fire pit). Watching it happen is half of why you came.
Stay small
One shop, on Main Street, run by the people who own it. We have no plans to franchise. If we ever change our mind, we'll tell you here first.
Pull up a chair
We've got a long bar, four small tables, a patio with a fire pit, and free wifi most days.