Electric gains crop of new businesses

Bigfork's Electric Avenue has been experiencing a mini-boom in new business, despite the recession.

Prior to about a year ago, tenants had remained steady, but that has since changed, said Bruce Solberg, executive director of the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce.

"We've had such steady tenants downtown, but we've had more new businesses downtown than in quite a while," Solberg said.

Many of the businesses have held their locations for decades, but they are being joined by a new crowd all of whom are optimistic about continued tourism in Bigfork's heart.

"Downtown real estate is really prime," Solberg said. "When it's available, it doesn't last very long."

And that's been happening over the past year and a half. Last spring saw the opening of several businesses downtown including Persimmon Gallery, River Street Cafe, Wine Cellar Cafe, Her Alibi Salon North and Sake-To-Me Sushi.

This spring will see another surge in new businesses downtown, including Pocketstone Cafe, Montana Bear Food and Helen's Place. Sunti World Art Gallery will also take a new roost on Electric, moving from Saddlehorn's Artisan Village.

"Everything is full and thriving," Solberg said.

There are currently only one or two open spots downtown.

There has been at least one causality along the way, as Invite - American Kitchen & Bar closed its doors earlier this month. In its place, the new Grille 459 is working to set up shop.

Still, Bigfork's newest additions have high hopes.

"There's always a risk when you want to open a business," said Melissa Bonnet, owner of the new Montana Bear Food. "With locals as well as tourist traffic, Bigfork has a little bit of an advantage. In hard economic times, people can strive and be creative. I'm definitely excited about the challenge."

Bonnet's business, which will be in the Double Eagle building along with Creative and Native, is scheduled to open at the beginning of May and will include an espresso bar, baked goods and a selection of mostly Made in Montana merchandise.

For Sunti's, it was all about the location on Bigfork's Electric Avenue. Sunti is hoping that the change in venue will help its business, after previous customers would call and have trouble finding the shop, not paying attention to the address. The gallery used to be located in Saddlehorn Artisan Village.

"We needed the location," manager Erica Pichetchaiyakul said. "People need to know where to find us. They assume if you are in Bigfork that you're on Electric."

Sunti's will likely open some time in April in its new location where Rock n River used to be with a display of artist Sunti Pichetchaiyakul 's new work, life-size sculptures of Lewis and Clark.

Jerry Lewis' upscale gallery, Helen's Place, is also banking on that art tourist community paying downtown Bigfork a visit.

The business, which he refers to as a "true gallery," will open later in the summer, most likely in June. Named after his aunt, the gallery will include his work and the juried works of "upper crust" artists as well as drawing classes. He's been working on renovations to the space, which is next to Sake-to-Me Sushi, since last summer with still a bit of work to go.

"I think people who come (to Bigfork) appreciate good art," said Lewis of his gallery's prospects. He compared his gallery style to that of those in New York City.

One of Lewis' neighbors, also a new business, is likewise relying on Bigfork to continue to draw people interested in art – and food.

Twin brothers Joel and Jason Hagen hope to open Grille 459 in early April for both lunch and dinner. When they heard Invite would close its doors, the brothers jumped at the chance to run their own restaurant together.

"It's something we've always wanted," Joel Hagen said.

The fact that the location was in downtown Bigfork near the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts didn't hurt either. Though they are concerned about the economy, Hagen said he's certain commodities like food and quality entertainment won't go out of demand.

The down economy actually helped pave the way for Bigfork's current most elaborate remodeling.

Residents have been watching the renovations across from the Garden Bar as partners David and Carolyn Vale and Karie Stidham ready it for Pocketstone Cafe. The building has been gutted this winter to make way for the breakfast and lunch restaurant, which is scheduled to open in the early weeks of May.

"We'll take the economic climate as it comes," David Vale said. "We're not particularly worried about it being down."

The recession actually enabled the partners to purchase the building at an affordable price and perform the remodel, he said.

"People are still going to want to eat, which is why we are hoping to provide a good comfortable meal at a reasonable price," Vale said.

Vale, who moved with Carolyn to the area last summer, wanted to get involved in the business community here, and is helping Stidham fulfill a life-long ambition to own a restaurant like this.

Vale, who describes himself as a budding restaurateur and frustrated writer, is taking a different approach to letting people know what's going on in the building by blogging about the progress. His blog can be visited online at http://blog.pocketstonecafe.com.