Business Bites: Pizza Ranch official; hot pots going into former MT Pints; Cascade Wholesale Meats rebranding and expanding; Great Falls Theatre Company summer show; Mi Rancho new location; Subaru flagpole; job fair; Fiber Forum; library programs; art exhibition opening
Pizza Ranch
Pizza Ranch will be opening in the Joann Fabrics location at 2515 10th Ave. S.
The company signed a lease for the space last week, according to their comments during Great Falls Development Alliance’s Ignite event on Jan. 12.
The new Pizza Ranch will be 15,000 square feet and include a Fun Zone arcade with 55 games, according to the company.
They’re planning to open this summer.
Tim Mazzaferro of Pizza Ranch said they’d been looking to open in Great Falls for some time.
Former MT Pints
The owners of Kobe Seafood and Steak purchased the former MT Pints space and are currently renovating it.
They’ll be opening a Tasty Hot Pot this winter, Jolene Schalper of GFDA said during Ignite.
Each table will have its own hot pot cooking spot and diners can choose their broth and ingredients, she said.
The owners secured a beer and wine license for the location.
Missouri River Meats
Drew Hicks, owner of Central Avenue Meats, said that he’s rebranding and expanding what was Cascade Wholesale Meats at 2400 9th Ave. N. into Missouri River Meats.
Hicks said they’re going to refurbish the meat production facility and increase locally-sourced meat production.
He said the facility will include a USDA-inspected commercial kitchen.
Hicks said Missouri River Meats will source meat regionally and they’re setting up to compete with Sysco and US Foods, which are major food suppliers operating in Great Falls.
Hicks said they have more than 30 local restaurant clients currently and are hoping to increase that clientele.
They’re installing smoking equipment, which will increase product availability at Central Avenue Meats too for frequently requested items such as bacon, he said.
Great Falls Theatre Company
The Great Falls Theatre Company has announced their summer production, Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man.”
The show will run July 11-13 and July 18-20.
Great Falls Theatre Company announces second season
“Get ready for a toe-tapping, heartwarming experience as we bring to life the classic tale of Professor Harold Hill and the lively town of River City,” according to the company.
Tickets will be available beginning in June and audition information will be announced soon.
Mi Rancho
Beginning Jan. 13, Mi Rancho is leasing the kitchen in the Stadium Sports Bar and Casino at 1121 5th St. S.
The bar served their menu through Jan. 11 and the kitchen is closed Jan. 12 for the transition.
The kitchen will reopen at 11 a.m. Jan. 13 with Mi Rancho’s Mexican menu.
After that, food will be available daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to Stadium.
Mi Rancho’s menu includes wings, chicken strips, cheese sticks and a burger, as well as their Mexican menu.
Subaru flagpole
The Great Falls Subaru downtown has installed a new 60-foot flag pole with a 12-foot by 18-foot flag.
The dealership recently raised the flag.
Fiber Forum
TDS is hosting a Fiber Forum to provide information on their network installation and the team will be available for questions.
The forum is set for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23 on the second floor of the University Center at the University of Providence. 1301 20th St. S.
Poetry Slam
Fire Pizza is hosting a Poetry Slam at 8 p.m. Jan. 16.
All are welcome to watch and participate.
Prizes will be awarded and there will be food and drink specials available.
GFPS job fair
Join Great Falls Public Schools for a Job Fair on Feb. 1 at the Paris Gibson Education Center.
Apply on the GFPS website prior to the job fair and interviews will be 3-5 p.m.
For more information, call the GFPS human resources department at 406-268-6010.
Library programs
Lailani Upham will lead a presentation/discussion on the creative and healing process of storytelling at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Cordingley Room in the basement of the Great Falls Public Library.
It’s the first talk in the library’s Winter Speaker Series, organized in conjunction with Humanities Montana.
Upham is an Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation) tribal member, along with Aaniiih, Nakoda, Dakota tribal descent and an adventure explorer, photographer, videographer, writer, and storyteller who travels throughout Montana to tell stories from an Indigenous perspective. She also is on the board of directors for the Freeflow Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Missoula that delivers opportunities for creativity, space, and access to wild places for writers, artists, and leaders of all backgrounds. She also is an advisory board member for The Common Ground Project which, “is a space where people gather to foster deeper connections with one another and the natural world, create community through collaboration, and encourage healing for people and the environment, worldwide.”
More information is here.
Nonprofit board training
The Great Falls Area Community Foundation, in partnership with Great Falls Public Library, TDS Telecom and Montana Nonprofit Association, presents a class tailored for local nonprofit board members.
This class provides actionable advice for seasoned volunteers and greenhorns alike.
Learn how to become a better board member by improving your governance, fundraising, and storytelling abilities. Understand principles and practices to elevate the impact of your organization.
The board basics session is 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 26 in the Cordingley Room in the basement of the Great Falls Public Library.
The cost is $20 and registration is required here.
The History Museum
The History Museum is beginning construction on their Research Center and Visible Vault project.
Beginning Jan. 16, the archives will be by appointment only with limited materials available.
The History Museum receives gift for remodel; hosting Second Saturday event Dec. 9
The Ozark Room is closed until further notice during construction, but exhibitions outside of the Ozark Room will still be open with regular hours.
The Gift Shop and Bookstore will be running normally and the museum will continue opening every second Saturday for self guided tours.
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
Paris Gibson Square Musuem of Art presents Unsettled Lands by emerging artist, Manette Rene Bradford.
Located in Billings, MT, Manette uses watercolor, acrylic, paper collage, and ceramic sculpture, to engage with themes from the mythic American West. Masculinity, heroism, mastery, and stewardship over the land are suggested with a raw and brazen effect. Manette strives to unearth the legacy of western settlement and the overwhelming impulse behind the act of possession. Recognizable Montana landscapes are merged with the male form to create a thought-provoking composition.
The new exhibition opens Jan. 26 and is sponsored by the Montana Art Gallery Directors’ Association.
The museum will host an exhibition reception and artist talk at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23.
For more information, contact Nicole Maria Evans, curator of exhibitions and collections, at nicole@the-square.org or 406-727-8255.
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