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Old 03-12-2012, 08:16 PM
 
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What is Billings missing in your opinion as far as restaurants or shopping. Anything locally owned that you would like to see such as boutiques, specialty stores, unique cafes ect?
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Old 03-28-2012, 12:22 PM
 
8 posts, read 14,572 times
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anything?
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Old 03-29-2012, 10:09 AM
 
Location: Where the mountains touch the sky
6,752 posts, read 8,535,928 times
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I can't speak directly to your question as I don't live in Billings.

I do know that Billings draws folks from a large surrounding area that go there to shop, eat, and get medical care.

It is a hub for a large part of Eastern Montana and Northern Wyoming.

I cannot speak directly to your question so hadn't answered you as while I go to Billings once in a while, it is usually for a specific purpose where I go there, do what I have to do, stop and look around the Cabella's store, eat at the Golden Corral or Famous Dave's and go home. I used to really like the Longhorn Cafe, but don't know if it is still in business as it has been several years since I was there.
I don't go there to Billings just shop at interesting botiques or try out new and exciting resteraunts. I don't do that where I live in Helena so why go somewhere else to pursue those activites?

You might want to check here as they may have some information for you.
BillingsChamber.com

Sorry I can't be of more assistance.
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Old 03-29-2012, 08:33 PM
 
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Billings is missing a more lively downtown. The downtown is modern-looking, which is fun, but there is nearly nobody walking on the streets, and its pretty depressing. I remember a decade ago when a lot of people were on the sidewalks. If there were more stores down there I think it would attract more pedestrians. A downtown like Missoula's would be fun, with people walking places instead of driving. The downtown could even be better than Missoula's as Billings' has a more modern feel to it.
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Old 04-02-2012, 07:53 PM
 
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Hey there, noticed your selection of responses was looking rather thin, and i would be happy to give you my input!
I was born and raised in Billings, lived several years in Seattle, and am now back in Billings.

First off, I agree with lemonseed23, downtown needs some serious intervention, because it has some serious potential.

As far as what Billings needs (keep in mind, most of these come with downtown in mind):

-Another Indian restaurant. That is for sure. and for that matter, any sort of authentic ethnic cuisine. (way too many americanized chinese buffets and the like)
-Some sort of entertainment downtown, besides venture theatre. Not sure what.
-an entertainment store downtown could be awesome (CDs, books, movies, etc)
-Cafes are always great, a more unique direction besides soup and salads would guarantee success. Im thinking something similar to a chipotle (rocket burrito just doesnt cut it) or a little more unique such as a vegetarian cafe or a gourmet and/or healthy lunch spot.
-Clothing boutiques are always good, there are virtually no stores that have extensive fashion for men, or anything remotely modern. With few exceptions like Marcasa. But they are waaaay overpriced.
-Perhaps a modern furniture boutique would be successful, something like this AREA 51 - A better home for you

These are just a couple ideas, if I think of some more I will return!
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Old 04-03-2012, 03:29 PM
 
Location: Billings, MT
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Billings needs some fast-food SEAFOOD restaurants! Long John Silver's, Skippers, etc. I get tired of going to Denny's or Perkins or Red Lobster for fish & chips!
Billings Heights needs some breakfast places, other than casinos. It is the pits to have to go all the way downtown or to the West End for a good breakfast.
In fact, Billings Heights needs just about everything, other than pizza places and auto parts stores and casinos. Oh, yeah, and Subway. We have two of them in The Heights!
But, Hey, we have a Walmart and an Albertson's, three drugstores, lots of fast food places, two pawn shops, and several gas stations...
But no really good place to eat breakfast without going to a casino!
and no place to get good fish & chips!
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Old 04-03-2012, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Bozeman, Montana
1,191 posts, read 2,993,721 times
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My first thought at your question is like Lemonseed's response.
Billings does not have a downtown that feels "walkable". It is not inviting, enjoyable to go to and wander around and meet friends, etc. It is a town of malls and strip malls, with fast traffic zooming by.
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:22 PM
 
9,891 posts, read 11,716,199 times
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Quote:
-Another Indian restaurant. That is for sure. and for that matter, any sort of authentic ethnic cuisine. (way too many americanized chinese buffets and the like)
-Some sort of entertainment downtown, besides venture theatre. Not sure what.
-an entertainment store downtown could be awesome (CDs, books, movies, etc)
-Cafes are always great, a more unique direction besides soup and salads would guarantee success. Im thinking something similar to a chipotle (rocket burrito just doesnt cut it) or a little more unique such as a vegetarian cafe or a gourmet and/or healthy lunch spot.
-Clothing boutiques are always good, there are virtually no stores that have extensive fashion for men, or anything remotely modern. With few exceptions like Marcasa. But they are waaaay overpriced.
-Perhaps a modern furniture boutique would be successful, something like this AREA 51 - A better home for you
What we have here, is someone that wants to bring the big city life to Billings.

True ethnic restaurants, have to have enough people of that ethnicity to give them a basic customer base. Otherwise they will fail. That is why no one wants to put that type of restaurant in Billings. If there was a potential for one to make money, someone would bring one to town. A vegetarian restaurant can go great in Seattle, but we live in Montana where they consider Vegetarian to have the old Indian meaning of Bad Hunter. A restaurant is the hardest business to turn profitable of all. That is why so many go into and out of business. That is the reason that Chain restaurants do better than most. They have found out, what people will spend money on. They one's that did not, are no longer chain restaurants.

-an entertainment store downtown could be awesome (CDs, books, movies, etc) Not going to happen. This type of store is going out of business all over the nation, as these items are so available over the Internet with such more choice than can be had in any store. These businesses are considered to be on the endangered species list.

-Clothing boutiques are always good, there are virtually no stores that have extensive fashion for men, or anything remotely modern. With few exceptions like Marcasa. But they are waaaay overpriced. The type of store in big cities, where they have the population draw, and a different way of life than Billings. Here Jeans are much more popular as a way of dressing, than men's fashion clothes and modern clothes so to speak. They are not here, as no one wants to take the risk of failure they would have.

-Perhaps a modern furniture boutique would be successful, something like this AREA 51 - A better home for you Again the type of furniture store that can be a success in a city like Seattle. As someone that spent many years in the furniture business years ago, I can tell you from experience that a city like Billings will not be a place for success of that type of store. Over the past few years, furniture stores are finding it a real hard business to be successful in, and to have this type of very contemporary furniture store, will not work in Billings.

The majority of new businesses, will go broke in less than 5 years. If they are the type of leading edge store for an area like you are suggesting, they will not last long enough to become profitable. When you open a business, you have to assume you will lose money for 3 to 5 years no matter what type of business it is. You have to be prepared to do that from the day you open.

Most new businesses are going to have loans to repay. Lenders are going to make pretty sure that you can succeed, before they will lend money to open the business. Today getting money is difficult, even with the best potential business for the area, and a good business plan. Lenders are going to make sure there is sufficient potential business in an area before they will lend money.

Lenders are not going to lend, for big city type small businesses, with a limited demand for goods and services.

What we need to list in this thread, are businesses, that have a potential for success in Billings Montana, not dream Big City businesses.
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