Old Chicago/Boston’s

Boston’s is closing on Nov. 11 after 16 years.

“It has been an incredible journey, filled with unforgettable moments, laughter, celebrations, and the joy of sharing delicious meals with all of you. We’ve had the privilege of being part of your birthdays, anniversaries, and everyday moments, and we couldn’t have asked for more loyal and supportive guests,” the owners wrote on their Facebook page.

Patrons should use any remaining gift cards before Nov. 11.

“While this chapter is coming to an end, we hope to see you all in the coming weeks as we say our goodbyes. Thank you, once again, for being a part of our restaurant’s history. We will always remember the friendships, laughter, and support you’ve given us over the years. It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve this community,” the owners wrote.

Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom is moving into the space.

John Johnson, president of Johnson Restaurant Group, said his company purchased the property.

When Boston’s closes, they’ll move into renovations over the winter and adding a 1,600-square-foot addition, and reopen as Old Chicago next year.

Johnson said they have to install a new kitchen hood system and it wasn’t feasible to remain open during that project, so decided to do the major construction, renovations and rebranding at once over the winter.

He said they’re hoping to open Old Chicago by late spring.

Johnson’s company is based in Wyoming and owns Old Chicago restaurants there, three in Montana and one in South Dakota.

Johnson said they’ve given letters to Boston’s employees inviting them back once Old Chicago is ready to open.

He said one employee has been with Boston’s since it opened, some others for more than a decade, and that spoke to the culture of their restaurant.

Johnson said the Boston’s owners had approached him about six years ago about purchasing their Great Falls and Spokane locations, but the timing wasn’t right for his company.

He said he’d been in Great Falls recently looking for a new location, unbeknownst to the Boston’s owners, but was having trouble finding a liquor license to go with the property. The Boston’s owners reached out again to talk about selling the Great Falls location and it came together.

The new Qdoba in West Bank at 415 3rd St. N.W. is set to open Nov. 3.

The restaurant posted that their giving the first 50 in line at their opening, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 3, free burritos or bowls for a year.

ThriveCycle

THRIVEcycle, a beat-based indoor cycling studio, is coming to downtown Great Falls at 503 1st Ave. N., Suite 101.

“At THRIVEcycle, we welcome every body. Yes, you read that right. Every body deserves a safe space to call their own. THRIVEcycle is more than a studio, it’s a community, it’s a family, it’s a place to truly thrive. Here, we just happen to be dancing on a bike while we build our community,” according to owner Jennifer Renaud.

Their pre-launch free classes start Nov. 20.

Nitro Creamery

Nitro Creamery is opening at 11 a.m. Nov. 8 at 1900 4th Ave. N.E., Suite 2.

Golden Triangle Gym

The Golden Triangle Gym is moving from their current location at 901 9th St. N. to 801 River Drive S.

Owner Becky Rammell said she purchased the building on River Drive that will be renovated into 22,000-square-feet of gym and training space and another 2,000-square-feet of office and classroom space.

She said they will be in the new space by July or August 2024.

Rammell said they’ve outgrown their space on 9th Street, where they’ve been located since 2018.

The gym offers karate, self defense, parkour, preschool and gymnastics.

She said early enrollment will start in January for all programs and information can be found on their website.

Former Pacific Galleries building has new owner, new tenants and new look [2018]

Classic 50s

Classic 50s Casino and Lounge has finished their remodel and is holding a grand opening on Nov. 18 at 1810 14th St. S.W.

Doors will open at 10 a.m. and the first 25 people in the door will get $20 for $20 match play.

The menu is prepared by Papo’s, which will be serving lunch this week at Classic 50s in the food trailer from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Papo’s will have a full kitchen and restaurant in Classic 50s.

Business Bites: La Quinta changes franchise; Cassiopeia and Saibeen’s reopened; Classic 50s still open without Howard’s [2020]

Portage Supper Club

Portage Supper Club, in the former Eddie’s Supper Club space, at  3725 2nd Ave. N. has closed.

Old Nautilus

The city has issued a partial demolition permit for the former Nautilus Spa building at 2500 6th Ave. S. The permit allows the contractor to take down part of the building, but a portion must remain as it’s holding up part of the alleyway, according to the city.

We’ll have more on that project in a few weeks.

Youth Craft Show

Alliance for Youth is holding a youth craft show Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their facility, 3220 11th Ave. S.

“This event promises to be a celebration of young talent, creativity and innovation, providing a platform for budding artists and artisans to showcase their remarkable work,” according to Alliance for Youth. “The youth craft show aims to foster a sense of community, creativity and entrepreneurship among young individuals, encouraging them to explore their artistic inclinations and develop valuable skills for the future. This event will feature a diverse array of handmade crafts, including but not limited to baked goods, jewelry, paintings, blankets, pillowcases, paracord items, cards, freeze dried candy, bookmarks, ornaments, tie dye clothing, hats, stuffed animals, ceramic tiles and more, all crafted by talented young artisans from across Cascade County.”

Crooked Tree East

The owners of Crooked Tree are getting closer to opening their second location at the former Five Loaves space at 4117 2nd Ave. N.

They’re hoping to open the week before Thanksgiving.

They’re also hiring baristas for 30-35 hours weekly, including weekend availability. Bring resumes to the downtown location or email it to crooked.tree@live.com.

CVS pharmacies

Two pharmacies in Montana did not open on Oct. 31, one in Great Falls and one in Anaconda, but they were isolated instances and not related to national pharmacist walkouts, according to Amy Thibault, CVS spokeswoman. The company expected them to reopen Nov. 1.

“We’re serving patients at the rest of our Montana locations and across our nationwide footprint and we’re not seeing any unusual activity. We’re committed to providing access to consistent, safe, high-quality health care to the patients and communities we serve and are engaging in a continuous two-way dialogue with our pharmacists to directly address any concerns they have,” Thibault said in an email to The Electric. “In response to recent feedback from our pharmacy teams, we’re making targeted investments to address their key concerns, including enabling teams to schedule additional support as needed, enhancing pharmacist and technician recruitment and hiring, and strengthening pharmacy technician training. Our goal is to develop a sustainable and scalable action plan to support both our pharmacists and our customers so we can continue delivering the high-quality care our patients depend on.”

Royal Sass Salon

Royal Sass Salon is holding a grand opening Nov. 20 at 800 3rd Ave. S.

The salon offers nail services , hair services, permanent make up, tooth gems and have a paparazzi room.

YWCA Empty Bowls

The YWCA Great Falls is holding Empty Bowls on Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Providence.

The fundraiser supports women and children in the Mercy Home shelter.

Empty Bowls 2023 will feature music by Joe Ryan, soups, bread for everyone donated by local restaurants, cookies and coffee/tea.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the YWCA office or online.

They’re also holding a VIP night 5-7 p.m. Nov. 2 at Paris Gibson Square Museum to meet the artists and experience a “kiln reveal” of bowls by those artists. The event includes light appetizers and wine. Limited tickets are available for $65.

Military Arts Day at Paris Gibson Square

Military Arts Day is Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art.

The event is free to the public and celebrates the second year of the Square’s veteran art program.

In conjunction with the current exhibition, II Maestro: Works by Morton Levin, a Centennial Celebration, programming will include art activities, tours and a film discussion.

The full schedule and other information about the event is available here.

The Veteran Arts Program meets every other Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the museum and is free for all participants through a partnership between the museum and the Great Falls Vet Center.

The program is open to any veterans in Great Falls and surrounding areas.

Instructors specializing in their trained media lead classes each month, allowing participants to explore many different art mediums throughout, according to the museum.

This program is ongoing, but registration only opens two months at a time. All participants are required to register for each class by calling the museum or registering online.

An exhibition highlighting The Square’s free Love for the Arts Programs will be on display from Nov. 4 through March 18, 2024, and include works made in the Veteran Arts Program.

Interpretive Center program

Historian Ken Robison will highlight the Lewis and Clark Expedition through Fort Benton’s eyes in a program titled, “Fort Benton Remembers Lewis and Clark: A prelude to the Great Portage.”

The program is 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

Robison will speak on the prelude to the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri. This includes the critical decision on the course of the Missouri at Decision Point, a few memorable events at Grog Spring, and the reunion of Lewis and his men in 1806 after his Two Medicine fight with the Blackfeet, according to the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

He will also address the off-again, on-again Montana State Lewis and Clark Memorial, and the on-again, off-again “almost” Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Fort Benton.

Robison serves on the Cascade County/Great Falls Historic Preservation Advisory Commission and Overholser Historical Research Center in Fort Benton. He’s a trustee on the Board of the Montana Historical Society and has been honored as a “Montana Heritage Keeper” by the Society. Robison served 29 years in the Navy and has written 16 books.

The program is hosted by the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, as part of the Ida Johnson Lecture Series, and is free to the public. The program is also available online through a Zoom link, by contacting PRC board member Zeke Leeds at eleeds1221@gmail.com, with PRC Program on the subject line.

Real Deals

Real Deals closed on Oct. 28.

The owner is still looking for someone to reopen the franchise in Great Falls.

More information is available here and for serious inquiries, email greatfalls@realdeals.net.

Library Foundation 

The Great Falls Public Library Foundation named Brianne Laurin as its new executive director, effective July 2023.

She succeeds Jill Baker, who held the position for the last three years and now serves as executive director of Humanities Montana in Missoula.

For the past two years, Laurin served as development director at McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences and prior to that spent nearly five years serving as C.M. Russell Museum’s development director.

“Brianne has positive energy and experience, and the foundation board is confident in her ability to take the foundation into the next chapter. We are actively growing our fundraising efforts in support of the library, and are excited to have Brianne join us as executive director,” Sue Warren, GFPLF board resident, said in a release.

Big Sky Quilts

Big Sky Quilts is holding a grand opening in their new space at 1525 10th Ave. S. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 24-25.

Got a business bite, email it to jenn@theelectricgf.com with business bites in the subject line.