BILLINGS - Billings Logan International Airport continued its expansion project, unveiling a new food court, home to three restaurants on Monday.
Logan's, Cinnabon and Stacked are all new places at the new terminal, giving passengers food similar to what they might find at the big city airports.
Airport chefs cook for Logan, Cinnabon and Stacked.
"I couldn't believe how unique the menus and everything that Stephen had come up with and it felt really blessed to be," said Candace Hightower, Sky Dine kitchen supervisor.
The kitchen serves three restaurants and cooks learn how to make food from Stacked.
At the beginning, the airport restaurant will not serve everything on the menu at its downtown restaurant.
"But we're open to doing more," said Steven Hindman. "We just want to make sure that it's right for the business before you throw it all in there."
Hindman and his family own Stacked, A Montana Grill.
He says the presence of his restaurant at the airport will introduce visitors to others in Billings,
"Not just Stacked, but it introduces and drives people downtown," Hindman said.
Stacked contracted with Sky Dine, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which also just opened a gift shop and has been running a bar and Mountain Mudd Coffee.
The new restaurants have been in the planning for about a year.
"They love the opportunities and they know the Stacked concept as well," said Janine Haight, Sky Dine district manager. "So there were a lot of people in the city that were very anxious to see that."
"You see it in the larger hubs," said Shane Ketterling, city of Billings assistant director of aviation and transit. "Things that would be really, really nice for the passengers here at Billings to have."
Ketterling says the new food court provides restaurants found in big city airports.
Construction will be completed on phases three, four, and five.
That includes concourse B, which will be ready at the start of 2024.
Already, Ketterling says the response to the $60 million project has been positive.
"We wanted to have a 21st-century terminal that people can be proud of compared to other airports," Ketterling said. "And I think we were successful in doing that."
And Hindman says he has heard gratifying feedback during Stacked's first day at the airport.
"People were telling us that this was some of the best stuff they've had in regional airports," Hindman said. "And so it was it was exciting to hear."
