Tyrell Crowell stands in the space that will become the second location of Ohana Poke on Montana Avenue in Billings.
An employee sprinkles sesame seeds on a poke bowl at Ohana Poke Company. The company has gained takeout popularity during the pandemic, and is planning a second location in downtown Billings.
An employee puts tuna on a poke bowl at Ohana Poke Company.
Ohana Poke Company is coming out of a COVID-19 slump with plans for a new downtown location.
The new 2,500-square-foot restaurant is located at 2223 Montana Ave. Suite 104, where The Grotto operated before it closed in 2019. The plan is to open in the next month or so, said Ohana Poke Company owner Tyrell Crowell.
Third-party delivery service fees are expensive for customers who want poke delivered to the Heights from the restaurant's location on Grand Avenue. With a downtown location, delivery fees will be cheaper and the restaurant will benefit from weekend dinner crowds.
"It was sort of driven out of need based on customer feedback," Crowell said.
The second location will also offer patio space for dining and live music in the summer, Crowell said. The menu will be the same as the first location, offering varieties of poke, a dish originating from Hawaii. It's defined as cubed cooked or raw fish or meat, usually prepared in marinades, served alongside fresh vegetables and sauces.
The ahi tuna is shipped in from Honolulu, and customers can also choose chicken, steak, shrimp and other proteins to add to their poke bowls.
There are a few new things on the menu, like cajun-style shrimp, poke street tacos and other new scratch-made sauces.
Crowell hopes to purchase a beer and wine license for the new location.
"We're always tweaking things, getting it dialed in and keeping things fresh for that local customer base that eats with us regularly," Crowell said.
Crowell found his love for poke through trips to Hawaii, and even with little restaurant experience he developed poke recipes in his home kitchen and opened his restaurant in August 2019. He wasn't fully ready for the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He had to pay more attention to expenses and the quality of his product during the statewide shutdown last spring. Because he was a new business and didn't have a way to show a decline in revenue over a year period, Crowell was unable to apply for federal loans like the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020.
He's learned to adapt quickly, by offering take-out and delivery services, and requesting customer feedback.
"I'd be lying to say that it hasn't been without its great, great challenges," Crowell said. "On the flip side, it's kind of trial by fire and we've really had to make sure that we try to stay dialed into what our customers want."
Dining room sales have been down over the past year, but business is steady with take-out and delivery orders. The dining room can now seat at full capacity after Gov. Greg Gianforte rescinded some business restrictions earlier this month.
Despite Montana's "steak and potatoes" mentality, many have come to enjoy the unique dish. Crowell and his staff continue to meet customers who have never tried poke.
The goal is to share the dish with more people in Billings.
"Overall, me and my family are just super grateful despite everything for everyone's support and that people love our food," Crowell said. "We'll keep working hard to create a good experience and great food."
Retrospective: Montana Avenue
Retrospective: Montana Avenue
Montana Avenue looking northwest, 1880s
Montana Avenue was one of the first streets in Billings, named for half of the Minnesota & Montana Land & Improvement Company.
Montana Avenue looking northeast, 1880s
Montana Avenue, pictured here looking northeast in the 1880s, was often referred to as "Main Street" in the early days of Billings. Most of the early buildings were constructed of wood, as opposed to the brick construction later used.
Montana Avenue looking northeast, 1883
Billings grew quickly after eclipsing nearby Coulson, and Montana Avenue was one of the areas that displayed that fastest growth. By the time the town was incorporated in 1882, the street was home to many businesses. The block pictured, between 26th and 27th Street, burned down in 1883. The fire led to the creation of Billings' first fire brigade.
The Midget Restaurant, circa 1903
The Midget Restaurant, which was located at 2907 Montana Ave., opened in the late 1800s. The restaurant was at one time the site of a law enforcement raid on a gambling operation, and was the scene of a 1910 police-involved shootout following an unsuccessful robbery. It was renamed to The American in 1913.
Montana Avenue looking east, 1900s
Montana Avenue is shown looking east from the Clark Block at North 29th Street in this postcard from around 1910. The street experienced a massive boom during the 1910s, as electricity became available and more rail passengers arrived through the then-new Northern Pacific Depot, which was completed in 1909.
Montana Avenue looking east from North 29th Street, 1910s
By the late 1910s, Montana Avenue was inundated with automobile traffic. Many of the buildings featured electric signs that lit up the street at night, including the sign on the top of the Billings Brewing Co., which featured an animated beer bottle pouring into a glass. The sign was touted as "Montana's Greatest Electric Sign."
Midland National Bank Building, 1910s
The Midland National Bank Building, located at the corner of Montana Avenue and North Broadway, was home to a variety of businesses in the 1910s. Among them were the Wanamaker Basement Store, Toomey's Drug Store and the Leitzke-Cross Sign Co. The latter was the source of controversy when this photo was taken, due to the sign depicting a nude woman (based on the Paul Chabas painting "September Morn") at the corner of the building. The corner is home to a parking garage today.
Billings Brewing Co., 1913
The Billings Brewing Company office was located at the corner of North 23rd Street and Montana Avenue. In the early 1910s, the office was painted and a giant "Old Fashion" beer bottle was added at the entrance to match the brewery's beer bottle car, pictured in the foreground.
Billings' first brick building, circa 1915
The Hanson-Kohn Jewelry Co. was housed in Billings' first brick building, at the corner of Montana Avenue and North 25th Street. The parking lot for the McCormick Hotel sits in its place today.
2700 block of Montana Avenue looking east, circa 1920
The 2700 block of Montana Avenue, now home to the Empire Parking Garage, was once home to Chapple's Drug Store and the McNeil Co. clothing store, as well as the Empire Bar.
Montana Avenue looking east, 1920s
The 2500 block of Montana Avenue is shown in the 1920s. The Commercial Hotel, in the foreground, was one of the larger hotels on Montana Avenue until it was torn down in 1967.
Montana Avenue looking east, 1930s
Montana Avenue is shown from a grassy area next to the Billings Depot in the 1930s. The Billings Brewing Co. sign was removed during Prohibition, leaving an empty frame on top of the brewery building. Today, the grassy area is a paved parking lot.
Intersection of Montana Avenue and North Broadway, 1950s
In the middle of the 20th Century, most of the development in downtown Billings was happening to the west what is now considered the historic district. The parking garage of the "new" Northern Hotel, built following the 1940 fire that destroyed the original, is shown here in the mid-1950s. The Dolly Theatre on the west side of North Broadway opened in 1955.
Billings Brewery demolition, 1959
By the late 1950s, the historic portion of Montana Avenue was beginning to deteriorate. The Billings Brewing Co. facility, located between North 23rd and North 24th streets, was torn down in 1959.
Montana Avenue looking west, 1976
The 1960s and 1970s were a problematic period for Montana Avenue. The street became known for its squatters, prostitutes and drug deals. The historic buildings were too old to be appealing to businesses, and too young to display their antiquated charm. The Rex Hotel, right, was one of the first Montana Avenue buildings to be renovated, beginning in 1976.
Montana Avenue looking east from North 25th Street, 1978
By the late 1970s, Montana Avenue was home to significant blight. The last regular Amtrak route through the Billings Depot ceased operation in 1979. The once thriving business district was home to run-down hotels and second hand stores.
Ye Old Mint Bar, 1978
In 1978, it was announced that a new high-rise building would be built on North 27th Street. The development of what became the Sheraton Hotel building (now the DoubleTree) meant that some Montana Avenue businesses would be forced out. Included among those businesses was Ye Old Mint Bar, which was located at 2613 Montana Ave. A June 25, 1978 column by longtime Gazette writer Addison Bragg traced the history of the location to its days as a saloon.
Montana Avenue looking west, 1981
Upon its completion in 1980, the Sheraton Hotel towered above downtown Billings. The architecture was starkly different from that of the nearby historic district along Montana Avenue.
Montana Avenue Looking west, 1985
In spite of all of the blight that plagued Montana Avenue in the 1970s and 1980s, some business owners saw potential for a renaissance along Billings' first Main Street. McIntosh Art moved into 2505 Montana Avenue in 1976, and several attempts were made to add family friendly dining. The Spaghetti Depot, housed in a former grocery store (purported to be haunted by a World War II soldier's ghost), opened the same year. Pipes & Pizza, shown in the foreground of this 1985 photo, was housed in the Carlin Hotel, and featured a pipe organ and silent movies.
Undercover officers on Montana Avenue, 1989
Though Montana Avenue was improving by the late 1980s, it was still known for a number of criminal activities, especially at night. Prostitution was so common in the area that law enforcement agencies in 1989 used an undercover operation to try to crack down on solicitation. Another "john" roundup was carried out the following spring.
Montana Avenue looking west from North 24th Street, 1991
In the 1990s, Montana Avenue saw its most rapid change since nearly a century earlier, as efforts to revive the historic district moved forward. Major projects included the renovation of the Billings Depot and expansion of the Rex.
Montana Avenue looking east, 1995
By the middle of the 1990s, Montana Avenue was finally beginning to return to form, as businesses sought to remodel and reuse the historic buildings.
Montana Avenue looking west, 1999
The historic district including Montana Avenue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, but it took nearly two decades for the area to become an appealing destination for Billings residents and visitors. Landscaping in the late 1990s added trees and other features intended to restore the street to its former glory.
Montana Avenue looking west, 2018
Many of the trees planted as saplings in the late 1990s along Montana Avenue have outgrown the nearby buildings.
Montana Avenue looking east, 2018
Today, Montana Avenue is home to many restaurants and businesses, including multiple breweries, a cider house, a distillery, art galleries and a performing arts center. The street is also the primary site of the annual Magic City Blues music festival, which began in 2002.
Mari Hall
Health and Business Reporter
