“We take bras very seriously,” Wheland said. “Life is too short to wear crappy bras.”
A landmark Heights business, the Stadium Club, has been sold to Black Hills Credit Union. Stadium Club has worn many hats over its decades of occupying the lot on Main Street, but has predominantly stayed a casino, bar and grill throughout.
Local entrepreneur Tera Pierce and family have owned Stadium Club since 2009. Pierce said they decided to close Stadium Club to consolidate down to one business and concentrate on The Den Sports Bar on the West End, which has been in her family for more than 60 years. The decision to sell Stadium Club came after Pierce and her husband took over ownership of The Den five years ago.
Cork & Barrel, at 1417 38th St. W., closed in July. Rumors of the closure had been circulating around town, but were confirmed with a letter to patrons, signed from ownership and staff, posted at the entrance.
“We are incredibly grateful for your support throughout these couple of years, and we want to assure you that this decision was not taken lightly,” the letter said. “We treasure the shared experiences with you and appreciate your patronage greatly. Thank you for contributing to the memories we’ve made at Cork & Barrel Pub & Restaurant. It has been an honor serving you.”
Coming Soon: There’s a new Thai restaurant called Tup Tim Thai, moving into the previous Cham Thai restaurant location, at 2916 1st Ave. N. The location has sat empty since Cham Thai closed this summer. No specifics on an opening date yet; a sign on the window says, “coming soon.”
Moving: Seth Royal Kroft Photography is moving to downtown Billings into the spot occupied by Lil’ Market Groceries, which closed its doors in October.
Bestseller Picks: This House of Books at 116 N. 29th St., released its list of 2024 Bestsellers. Books on this list may be purchased at the store.
“Unsurprisingly for an independent, co-op bookstore, our top sellers tend to be by local and regional authors who do events with us … hence the fact that ALL of our #1 bestsellers in 2024 are by Montanans. Huge thanks to the authors who trust us to connect you with readers,” the January newsletter stated.
Here are the official Top Ten Bestsellers of 2024 in each of our three main categories:
Adult Nonfiction:
1. “Becoming Little Shell” by Chris La Tray
1. “True West” by Betsy Gaines Quammen
3. “The Boy Who Promised Me Horses” by David Charpentier
4. “Footnote to History” by Andrew Laszlo
5. “West of Town” by Shirley Steele (poetry)
6. “The Girl Prince” by Danell Jones
7. “This Wheel of Rocks” by Sister Marya Grathwohl
8. “100 Things to Do in Billings Before You Die” by Nancy Icopini & Gina Tarnacki
9. “This House of Sky” by Ivan Doig
10. “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Adult Fiction:
1. “Northward Dreams” by Craig Lancaster
2. “First Frost” by Craig Johnson
3. “Tooth and Claw” by Craig Johnson
4. “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
5. “The Entire Sky” by Joe Wilkins
6. “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
7. “James” by Percival Everett
8. “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers
8. “The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones
10. “I Cheerfully Refuse” by Leif Enger
Young Readers:
1. “Nest” by Precious McKenzie; illustrated by Jennifer Ard
2. “Abby the Antelope” by Edie Vogel; illustrated by Sarah Broesder
3. “Good Night Montana” by Adam Gamble
4. “Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder” by Dav Pilkey
5. “Let Me Tell You About My Mom” by Casey Rislov; photography by Ron Haynes
6. “Coyote Queen” by Jessica Vitalis
7. “The Selkie” by Precious McKenzie
7. “Who Was King Tut?” by Roberta Edwards
7. “You Can’t Lay an Egg” by Nancy Belinak
10. “Night-Night Montana” by Katherine Sully
Have a Billings business tip? Send an email to lpalmer@billingsgazette.com.
