A couple of readers called to tell me that Black Hills BBQ, the small restaurant at 1012 East North St., has closed its doors.

I called owner Jim Berger. He said he decided to close because of the barbecue-sauce lawsuit filed by Art's Southern Style Smokehouse Barbecue, the previous restaurant in that location.

"The attorney fees took care of any profit I was making; it got me out of the business," Berger said. "It just wasn't worth it to do it for the little bit of money it was making."

Berger opened the new rib joint last fall, after Art's closed at that location. He also hired some of the staff. In July, Art's former owners sued, claiming an employee violated confidentiality agreements by sharing Art's sauce recipe with Berger. The judge later issued an injunction, and the case is still pending.

Berger said he will concentrate on his other food venture, Ichiban Japanese Restaurant on Omaha Street.

He did say that something else - he couldn't say what - will be going into the East North Street store, probably in the next 30 days. Berger is not involved in the new venture.

Veterinarian moving to PetSmart

Rapid City, local veterinarian Christine Teets, owner of All Cats-n-Dogs Hospital on Omaha Street, is moving her practice into the new PetSmart store, set to open early next month on Disk Drive.

She will operate as Banfield, the Pet Hospital. Banfield is a national chain of PetSmart-affiliated veterinary clinics. Nearly all are located inside PetSmart stores. Teets likened the relationship to a franchise.

"It's the right thing to do," she said. "We've done a lot of market surveys in the area, and this is what people want. It will mean huge convenience for clients."

She said the clinic inside the PetSmart store is accessible, has extended hours and enough room for pets to be dropped off for treatment in the morning and picked up later in the day.

At Banfield, she will also be able to see walk-ins as well as take pet appointments, Teets said. All of the All Cats-n-Dogs staff will be making the move to Banfield, she said, and the staff will also be expanded.

Teets opened All Cats-n-Dogs in 1998. She is part owner of the building on Omaha Street. She's put the space, about 2,000 square-feet, up for lease.

By the way, it appears most of the construction work at PetSmart is finished. I looked in the window yesterday; they are putting up fixtures and bringing in supplies.

Family to close ScandiaStore

I have bad news from the ScandiaStore. The shop at 605Main St. in Rapid City is going to close its doors. It's not by choice.

I received an e-mail the other day from Lisa Sherrodd. She, her husband Mark and her parents Eric and Joyce Blomfelt operated the downtown store.

"I thought your readers might be interested to know that our family has been 'forced' to close ScandiaStore. My dad, Eric, who as you know was the main reason we started the store, has been diagnosed with lung and liver cancer, and he is terminal. He is not doing well, and we have decided that closing the store is our best decision right now. Emotionally. it is just too difficult to be here without him."

The family opened the shop in 2006. Eric Blomfelt was born and raised in Sweden. He and Joyce loved to travel in Europe, especially the Scandinavian countries. That's how the came to open a Scandinavian themed store in Rapid City.

They're selling off the merchandize and fixtures at wholesale or below wholesale, and they don't expect to stay open much past August.

"We have met so many wonderful people, heard so many wonderful stories, and cherish the friendships we have discovered through ScandiaStore. There is a healthy and thriving Scandinavian population in the Black Hills! Some of them even eat lutefisk on a regular basis!" she wrote.

Talking Business appears Thursdays in the Journal. Contact Dan Daly by telephone at 394-8421, by fax at 394-8463 or by e-mail: dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com