BILLINGS — As warmer weather approaches, foot traffic in downtown Billings is expected to pick up. Alongside the changing seasons, an influx of new businesses at the start of 2025 is offering locals and visitors alike a fresh batch of unique destinations.
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“It's been like such a warm, unexpected welcome," said business owner Katie Harrison about her first week of running her new business.
Harrison recently opened The Billings ReFill Shoppe at 2713 1st Ave N., two years after closing her original refill shop on Montana Avenue in 2023. She sells local sustainable goods and refillable products.
“Being able to be in the heart of downtown, I think just gives a more natural relationship to that type of shopping that I would like for all of us to go back to, which is more thoughtful, more personable, and less wasteful,” said Harrison.
Ten new downtown businesses have either announced their location or opened by March, compared to two to three new businesses this time last year.
“A handful of them, almost five of the businesses are a part of the Battle of the Plans program that we ran last year, and so to see those business ideas come to fruition and start opening their doors is really big," said Lindsay Richardson, the Downtown Billings Association Communications Director.
According to the association, vacant spaces usually only stay empty for three to six months. At the end of last year, 11 businesses closed but those 10 vacancies were quickly filled. The new wave of openings also shows a wide variety of business types that the association is excited to bring downtown.
"The diversity of the 10 new businesses we have is what is happy and surprising I think for all of us that we aren't seeing a collection of more coffee shops or more of what already exists. We're seeing things that didn't exist," said Richardson. “Starting the year off in 2025 with already 10 new businesses ... kind of makes us really hopeful for the remainder of the year."
The new businesses include:
- Seth Royal Kroft - Photographer
- Billings ReFill Shoppe
- Tup Tim Thai Restaurant & Food Truck
- Wicked Bull Trading Post
- Earthbound Café
- Boomin Boba Bubble Teas
- The Good Wolf 406 (coming soon)
- Captain Scurvy's Black Dragon Pub (coming soon)
- Frae Everyday Goods (coming soon)
- Pete's Meats (coming soon)
The growth is no surprise to the association, as visitor retention rates in the downtown area are high, and efforts are made to match the right businesses with the right spaces.
"People are spending over 180 minutes on average in downtown Billings when they come visit, so that's really amazing for us," said Richardson. "My development director, he's working with the property owners and the business owners to find the right matches for each other because ultimately property owners want long-term tenants, and the tenants are looking for the right property owner."
Earthbound Café is another one of the newest additions, located inside the Valley Federal Credit Union Building at 207 N Broadway. Joshua Ploeg, Jessica Johnson, and Nicholas Rogers all co-own the breakfast and lunch spot and wanted to bring a new variety of flavors for all diets, like vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and everything in between.
“We're trying to bring some eclectic cuisine to downtown, but at the same time, not really reinventing the wheel," said Ploeg. "It's some of everything, we do meat and whatnot. It is Montana, after all."
Earthbound Café has already made a splash in its first two weeks of opening with a steady stream of customers and a rotating menu to keep things fresh.
“To be a part of the group of businesses that's coming in right now, we're all really on board with making people feel more comfortable coming downtown and, like, there's a lot to do and things to explore, so we're happy to be a part of that,” said Ploeg.
The influx of new businesses is a positive sign for the city's future and leaves business owners hopeful.
"I already saw that I am in a community of really supportive small business owners, and so it was almost like it helped build confidence, I'm sure for a lot of us to know that we can do this," said Harrison. "We can be a part of that excitement and maybe that small business tour, if you will."
