Several new businesses are in the works for Great Falls - or have opened in recent weeks - here's the latest information.
WHAT: Construction of Panera Bread
WHERE: 1322 10th Avenue South
OPENING: Not yet announced
FORMERLY: JB's Restaurant
Panera Bread is a counter-serve bakery/cafe chain serving sandwiches, salads, and more.
WHAT: Construction of Texas Roadhouse
WHERE: 1216 10th Avenue South
OPENING: Not yet announced
FORMERLY: Fiesta En Jalisco; Applemill Grill
Texas Roadhouse is a 664-unit steakhouse chain; there are locations in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula.
WHAT: Pizza Ranch
WHERE: 2515 10th Avenue South
FORMERLY: Joann Fabrics
OPENING: Likely within several weeks
The Old West-themed buffet restaurant will have an "arcade zone" of more than 5,000 square feet. They have been hosting interviews for employees in recent days; click here to follow progress on their Facebook page.
WHAT: Spirit Halloween
WHERE: Holiday Village Mall
OPENING: Currently open
FORMERLY: Bed Bath & Beyond
The seasonal Halloween store was formerly located in the old Shopko building on the Northwest Bypass.
WHAT: Homegrown Dental
WHERE: Ninth Street South
OPENING: Not yet announced
WHAT: Car wash
WHERE: 833 Smelter Avenue NE
OPENING: Not yet announced
FORMERLY: Ryan's Cash & Carry
WHAT: WinCo Foods
WHERE: 301 Northwest Bypass
OPENING: Not yet announced
WinCo Foods is now registered as the owner of the building that formerly was Shopko, but no details of development have been released at this point. WinCo operates grocery stores in several Montana communities, including Helena, Bozeman, and Billings.
WHAT: Clearwater Credit Union
WHERE: First Avenue North/Park Drive
OPENING: Not yet announced
FORMERLY: Hardee's restaurant
OTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
BEST WOK: After being closed for several months, Best Wok re-opened on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 1800 10th Avenue South in Great Falls.
ASIAN MIX: Located in Holiday Village Mall, Asian Mix opened in April 2025. The menu features Chinese, Thai, and Myanmar food, along with sushi, and notes that all items are available on a "spicy level" of 1 to 5.
WINDY CITY LIQUIDATIONS: Opened in June at 624 Central Avenue. They say they specialize in liquidation buyouts and operate as a bin store, and will offer a variety of items, including home goods, electronics, gardening, and more. Click here to visit the Facebook page.
SODA STATION: Opened in April in the Holiday Village Mall parking lot in the space formerly occupied by Starbucks. The Montana-based company has six locations in Billings and one in Laurel. The shop offers soda customizations, with endless flavors, cream, boba, fruit puree, and energy drinks. They are drive-through only, and also serve hot drinks.
SWING & MEAT: Opened in late May at 1210 Ninth Street South (former Goodwill building). The new businesses plans to bring a new level of entertainment to the community, including golf simulators, cornhole simulators, and VR games and experiences. The owners noted: “Heads up: The ‘meat” part is still in the works — a food and snack experience is coming soon, and trust us, it’s going to be worth the wait!” Click here to visit the website.
ELEVATION 3330: The business in downtown Great Falls closed on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The second-story business opened at 410 Central Avenue in April 2019, and featured an open-air balcony that overlooked the street below.
CHICK-FIL_A: The City of Great Falls confirmed that Chick-fil-A has submitted a preliminary traffic impact study to the city, which is an assessment of potential impacts a proposed development project might have on surrounding roads. The location is 711 10th Avenue South. The study will be reviewed by the City and the Montana Department of Transportation for a potential restaurant location at 711 10th Avenue South. The city provided the following statement on the situation: "Chick-fil-A hasn’t yet filed any paperwork with the City for demolition of the former paint building remaining on that block, nor has it filed any paperwork for the construction of a new restaurant. The traffic study submittal is a good sign the project is moving forward, however." The popular fast-food restaurant specializes in chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, and has more than 3,000 locations across the country, including several in Montana.
