BILLINGS- On Easter Sunday, a well-loved downtown Billings brunch restaurant has a simple plea for its supporters: “Come brunch with us.”
“It is all about the biscuits,” said restaurant manager Paris Moll.
The Sassy Biscuit has been a staple on North 29th Street for the past seven years, a go-to brunch destination for friends to gather and a place to take out-of-town guests.
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The restaurant is known for its southern flare, delivering scratch-made comfort food centering around the magnificence of the biscuit.
“Everything has a biscuits and gravy concept,” Moll said.
However, Moll says foot traffic has dropped off and if things don’t turn around, the restaurant may be forced to close.
High employee turnover is playing a major role, and it's part of a broader national trend.
“It’s been a struggle in some areas,” she said. “I think one of our biggest struggles is turnover.”
Moll is looking at ways to heighten the customer experience but says training and retaining new employees is a challenge.
To help staff manage operations, the restaurant is now closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Sassy Biscuit is open Thursday through Monday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Those quieter days midweek give Moll a chance to reset and support a brand-new team.
“I kind of came into a little bit of chaos,” she said. “But I like the fact that I hope I can change it around.”
Sassy Biscuit is not alone in feeling the financial pinch.
Montana's employee turnover rate is currently outpacing national trends but follows a national trend.
In January, the U.S Bureau of Labor showed the state's quit rate was a full percentage point higher than the national average, with more workers leaving jobs than being hired.
“I know that everyone is struggling right now,” Moll said. “But this is some of the highest turnover that I’ve seen.”
Still, she’s hopeful for the future.
“I have the experience, so I believe I can do it,” she said.
Supporters of downtown Billings say now is the time for the community to step up and help.
“Sometimes that’s what it takes to save a business is to re-invite the community and reinvest in that space,” said Mehmet Casey, development director for the Downtown Billings Association.
“What do we have that’s unique to Billings?” said Lindsay Richardson, who is also with the DBA as the communications and outreach director. “We have Sassy Biscuit and if we don’t support what’s unique to us, they go away.”
Casey says businesses downtown do thrive as each year, they see 25 to 30 new businesses open and on average and five to 10 businesses close their doors.
He also says, there are businesses in the downtown corridor who are reporting some of their most successful years yet.
For now, the Sassy Biscuit remains open and staff are doing everything they can to keep it that way.
“We are just trying to get back to make sure every standard is upheld,” Moll said.
They’re still serving scratch-made comfort food and have one request for the community:
“We definitely need the community support back,” Moll said.
