Business Bites: Linda Michaels gets grant; The Wild Hare happy hour, brunch; Baatz building cleanup meeting; new bar; Rib and Chop progressing; The Gibson opening; TroyStrong blood drive
Linda Michaels
Linda Michaels Salon and Spa has been awarded a grant through the Backing Small Business program through American Express and Main Street America.
Grants of $5,000 were awarded to 350 small business owners nationwide.
The salon will use their grant to upgrade their computer operating and point of sale system, as well as provide staff education.
The salon is also expanding their space at 106 1st Ave. S. into the neighboring space. They’re adding two more massage and esthetics rooms, a spray tan room and an infrared sauna and the front of the space will be the Man Cave.
They’re hoping to open the expanded space sometime in mid-July to early August and are looking for barbers and a massage therapist to join their team.
The Wild Hare
The Wild Hare is hosting a summer food truck series that began June 19.
Each Monday from 4-9 p.m., a food truck will be outside The Wild Hare and Harvest Craft Kitchen.
Follow their social media page on Sundays to see who’s the featured food truck for the week.
Harvest Craft Kitchen will be closed on Mondays, but the bar will be open.
They’re also launching a new happy hour menu from 4:30-7 p.m. daily:
- $5 select draft beers
- $6 glasses of wine and champagne
- $6 select craft cocktails
- $7 food items, excluding Mondays, Wednesdays and special events
Tickets are also still available for the June 25 Drag Me to Brunch event.
The event is for 21 and older.
Tickets are available here.
Baatz Building Cleanup
Neighborworks Great Falls, the Great Falls Development Authority and Hygienix are holding a public meeting at 6 p.m. June 26 at NWGF, 509 1st Ave. S.
The meeting will focus on the hazardous waste cleanup of the Baatz building at 400 2nd Ave. S.
NWGF is redeveloping the vacant property into permanent supportive housing.
City approves $2.15 million in federal funds for Baatz project
The organizations will discuss the scope of the project, the nature of Brownfields program, the role of the redevelopment in the community, environmental hazards and hazard mitigation.
GFDA will also present the draft Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives document for public review.
Rib and Chop House
The city recently issued a building permit for the Rib and Chop House going into the former Wells Fargo building at the corner of 1st Avenue North and and 3rd Street.
Construction is underway and the company told The Electric that they’re planning to open later this year.
Fetch
The city issued a building permit for an addition to Fetch on the west side, and there is space for another unnamed tenant.
Broadview Apartments
A permit has been issued for the renovation of the first level of the apartment complex at 600 13th Ave. S. It’s a low income housing tax credit project.
City holding public hearing on planned affordable housing renovation [2022]
MT Bar 41
A permit has been issued for a renovation for a new bar in the old 8 Ball Inn at 1020 17th St. S.
Buffalo Blac
A building permit has been issued for the remodel of the former Campfire Girls building at 1925 2nd Ave. S. into Buffalo Blac, a new café owned by Mark Tronson of 5th and Wine.
Independence Bank
Independence Bank has named Lee Diedrich as business development officer at their Great Falls branch.
In this role, he will help connect customers with bank services and staff to provide quality banking services in the greater Cascade County area.
Diedrich is from Conrad and after graduating from Conrad High School, he attended Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, where he played baseball and basketball. Diedrich was a teacher and a coach following his college days, but moved into the financial services field and spent 27 years as a financial advisor, according to a bank release.
Kayla Ruiz is joining the branch as a retail mortgage lender.
Ruiz has spent the last 10 years in the financial industry. Most recently, she worked in loan processing and consumer lending, according to a bank release.
The Gibson
Choice Hotels is hosting a grand opening an open house event at The Gibson, 621 Central Ave. from 4-6 p.m. on June 24.
Rooms will be open for viewing to see the renovation.
The hotel group has been working for several years to renovate the former Greystone Inn into the new boutique hotel.
COVID-19 slowed the project financing and construction plans.
Choice Hotels is headquartered in Maryland and is one of the largest lodging franchisers in the world, according to its website. The company currently franchises more than 7,000 hotels, representing nearly 570,000 rooms, in more than 40 countries and territories.
It will be the first of the company’s Ascend collection hotels.
Spay/Neuter Clinic
The Humane Society of Cascade County is hosting a low cost spay/neuter clinic August 26-27.
For those with cats, call 406-452-7729.
For those with dogs, or both dogs and cats, call 406-231-4722.
Leave only one message with your name and number and speak clearly. Calls will be returned in the order received.
The Humane Society asks that callers to put the organization’s number in their contacts so they’ll recognize the call when the Human Society returns the call. Schedulers are volunteers and the Humane Society asks that callers make themselves easy to reach.
Oklahoma!
The Great Falls Theater Company presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at the University of Providence theater.
Hear the famous production’s classic score including “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,” “People Will Say We’re in Love,” and more.
Get more details and tickets here.
Shows are at 7:30 p.m. July 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22.
NeighborWorks Most Improved Awards
NeighborWorks Great Falls held their annual most improved awards event on June 8.
The awards recognize those who “showed their continual commitment to making Great Falls a better place, from community service to property renovations.
This year’s award recipients are:
- Realtor of the Year: Ambyr Rain Showers
- Partner of the Year: The Hi-Line Climbing Center
- Volunteer of the Year: Eric Ray
- Lender of the Year: Mike Banks
- Best Interior Re-Adaptive Use of Space: The Commons
- Best New Commercial Building: Independence Bank
- Best New Residential Building: Arc Apartment Homes
- Downtown Champion: Garry Hackett
- Most Improved Rental: Frederick and Jenavieve Campbell
- Most Improved Residential: Nate and Rachel Swanson
- Most Improved Commercial: The Wild Hare
Lifelong Learning
The Continuing Education and Training Department at the Great Falls College-MSU is discontinuing most of the Lifelong Learning classes.
“As we focus on serving our community through industry partnerships and providing trainings that fill crucial workforce shortages, we will support enrichment classes and education opportunities that are offered in multiple locations throughout our community. Our hope is that you continue to share your talents,” according to a letter sent to instructors.
Montana Historical Society Walking Tour
The Montana Historical Society launched another Adventure Lab walking tour: Great Falls.
Take a look at how much the city has changed over the past century plus, either by walking the tour or taking a peek at their companion digital exhibit.
TroyStrong Blood Drive
The American Red Cross of Montana is hosting a TroyStrong blood drive from noon to 6:30 p.m. June 22 at the Red Cross Blood Donation Center at 1300 28th St. S.
Schedule an appointment to donate at one of these drives by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering the
sponsor code TroyStrong or call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767). A blood donation takes less than an hour, and
a single donation can save more than one life.
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