MISSOULA — Missoula’s restaurant scene continues to evolve with some closures, listings for sale as well as new openings – all reshaping the local food and beverage landscape. Businesses navigate economic pressures felt nationwide along with changing consumer habits.
Missoula’s community has watched Applebee’s, Famous Dave’s and James Bar close their doors within the last few months, with James Bar closing first at the end of July. Meanwhile, several restaurants that remain open are listed for sale, including Plonk, The Depot, The Keep and Oxford Cafe.
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Recent changes reshape Missoula’s restaurant landscape
Linda McCarthy, executive director of the Downtown Missoula Partnership, said some of the activity in the marketplace comes down to the natural cycle of business ownership.
“A lot of it’s about retirement, you know, they’re at the end of their work life,” McCarthy said.
She added businesses have yet to return to pre-COVID standards.
“It’s been six years so just like a recession, it takes time to recover,” McCarthy said.
Still, she said the movement being seen now is not unusual.
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Linda McCarthy, executive director of the Downtown Missoula Partnership
“You’re always going to have openings and closings. You know it is a challenging time to operate food and beverage businesses right now, but you know in downtown Missoula we have some that are really thriving,” McCarthy said. “You can’t hardly get in at Zoo Thai, 1889’s really popular, Michi Ramen and Saketome sushi, really popular. GILD, Bridge, Biga, Cranky Sam all thriving.”
She listed the nationwide pressures and more expensive materials as factors in recent shifts too.
“We’re just seeing, you know, kind of some change in the era of operators, I think. And then you know we’re seeing businesses really trying to navigate some of the national trends and increased expenses and cost of goods. So a lot of change happening.”
Over the last 10 years, McCarthy told MTN there have been more general openings than closings, along with Missoula’s population growth. But she said consumer participation remains vital, and that it’s important for people need to be out eating, shopping and dining.
Not everyone is pulling back. Biscuit Hound Cafe is opening its doors for the first time, a milestone its co-owner calls a dream come true.
David Hilliard, co-owner of Biscuit Hound Cafe, said the timing reflects a deliberate and strategic approach.
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David Hilliard, co-owner of Biscuit Hound Cafe
“I had a good feeling about the possibilities of this space,” Hilliard said. “My wife and I wanted to do this for years and saw the opportunity with this building and jumped into it.”
He said the cafe is focused on sourcing local materials, even at a higher cost.
“We know because we’re buying locally, we’re paying a premium, but we also know what our price is gonna be tomorrow,” Hilliard said.
Hilliard added they’ve also been intentional about staffing.
“How few employees can we have and still have good service, because I think it’s really hard to find good employees right now, especially in the service industry,” Hilliard said.
He acknowledged the broader challenges facing the food and beverage industry.
“The industry is definitely changing. People seem to have less time to sit down and have a big multi-course meal. Maybe don’t have the money to sit down and have a big multi-course meal,” Hilliard said.
On a national level, economic pressures are weighing on the restaurant industry as a whole.
“People are eating out less, they’re consuming less. And they’re holding their money a little bit tight when you look at what’s happening on a national level, you know, the cost of goods and services has gone up dramatically. The cost of labor has increased significantly,” Linda McCarthy said.
However, Hilliard said Biscuit Hound Cafe is focused on doing what it does well.
“We know we can’t please everyone, so we’re trying to do what we do well and hopefully the people that come in here like it and come back,” Hilliard said.
Dining and Cooking