A Brazilian steakhouse debuts while the Sheridan Museum relocates downtown

SHERIDAN — Two familiar Sheridan landmarks are beginning new chapters, bringing new life to buildings serving very different purposes.

The former Museum at the Bighorns, located off Interstate 90, has been transformed into Espadas, Wyoming’s first Brazilian steakhouse.

The museum has moved into the heart of downtown, taking over and restoring the historic Woolworth department store on North Main Street.

History and Hospitality: Sheridan welcomes a Brazilian steakhouse as museum relocates downtown

Brothers Mouad and Adim Zaazaa run the newly opened Espadas, which is located at 850 Sibley Circle. Originally from Morocco, they studied in Montana before settling in Wyoming for several years.

They were already well-known in Sheridan for their Mexican restaurant, Los Tacos, and decided to use their passion for food to bring something new to the area.

“Espada means sword, and we believe everyone eats from the same sword. “It’s like everyone is eating from the same plate,” Mouad explained. “We simply want to bring that type of experience to Sheridan.” “They do not have it.”

The brothers noted that their staff includes locals as well as international J-1 visa workers. Mouad himself can speak five languages.

“You see a lot of countries right here in this restaurant that Wyoming doesn’t provide a lot to interact with, even with somebody from a different country,” said Mouad.

Espadas occupies the building once home to the museum, and even further back was once a barbecue restaurant, so the move in with an already large commercial kitchen still intact only called for five months of renovation. Since opening in June, the brothers said the community has been welcoming.

“We just saw the vision. We saw it’s going to be there with the view you have here, with where it sits,” said Mouad. “We’ve been accepted. We love it. A lot of people supported the business.”

While the building now houses meats, it used to hold memories. The move of the Museum at the Bighorns to 171 N. Main Street brings Sheridan’s history back into the center of town.

“It’s a great historic downtown and a nice place to stop over,” said Chip King, the museum’s Director of Operations. “It’s the hub of town.”

The Sheridan Historical Society has used the former location since 2005. Rising costs and limited visibility made the downtown opportunity too appealing to pass up.

“We aren’t a county or city museum. “We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to county and regional history,” King explained. “(We have) more foot traffic in just the month and four or five days that we’ve been open in this location than we would have had in the same time frame up on Fifth Street.”

The new space, which was once part of the iconic Woolworth department store chain, is currently being renovated in stages. The front exhibits and gift shop, which sells local items, are now open to the public, but the back portion is still under construction. It will be designed to house a rotating set of six themed exhibits: the Bighorn Mountains, High Plains ecosystems, Downtown Sheridan, ranching and rodeo, coal and industry, and an open space.

“We are planning for the center area to be more open and things to be a little more flexible, movable,” said Carrie Edinger, director of the museum. “We could set up chairs for a formal presentation or have a hands-on activity as well.”

“It’s glass from storefront all the way back, and ultimately, when the space is finished, people will be able to look in and see sneak peaks of all the way back to the very back wall,” according to King.

The address of the building was first established in 1888, and it was rebuilt as a new multi-floor department store in the mid-1960s. A new interactive display commemorates the area’s rich history. Community members have shared their stories and memorabilia, which range from first jobs and back-to-school shopping to shoplifting.

“It’s kind of a fun exhibit and to listen to the many stories, especially for community members who were even employed at the store,” Edinger told me. “One community member shared opening day black and white photo of all the new employees, and they were actually around our staircase here that we have still in the building.”

The total cost of Phase Two renovations is estimated to be $2 million, and the Roberts Family Foundation has generously provided a $50,000 matching grant to help the museum move forward and continue collecting local history.

“There are so many families that have lived here for generations. We’ve seen various things. They have items in their personal collections to share, so there is a lot of exchange, I believe, for modern times to think about history and how it evolves,” Edinger stated. “History isn’t so stuffy. “It is evolving.”

With flavorful dishes on the outskirts of town and a rich history at its core, Sheridan is experiencing renewal through reinvention. The two transformed spaces will shape its next chapter for many years to come.

“Sheridan always feels like home. “It feels like home to us,” Mouad explained. “Sheridan is an extremely picky community. They’ll tell you what’s going on. They’ll tell you what kind of meat and food they prefer, so this will be a unique experience.”

“Sheridan, it is a historic community,” King added. “Come into the museum and see what we have going on. It will change in six months, you know, so come back then.”

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