Hokkaido Ramen & Izakaya is known for making house-made ramen and sushi dishes using fresh vegetables, high-quality fish, skillful chefs and a secret ingredient.
"A lot of love" is put into every dish that goes out to customers, said Helena-based Hokkaido restaurant general manager and district marketing director John Schneider.
"It's just a different vibe. I just know people can sense it," Schneider said. "The food just tastes that good."
Schneider is very passionate about the Hokkaido & Izakaya brand that operates restaurants in Helena, Great Falls, and Bozeman. A Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi Bar will open in Billings by late March, while a Hokkaido Ramen House is slated to open by late April. The brand is also planning to open locations in Idaho.
The owners plan to open the new locations in the next six months, Schneider said.
The ramen and sushi bar, which will offer beer, wine and sake, will open at 1001 Shiloh Crossing Blvd #3, while the ramen house is set to open at 315 Main St. The ramen house will only sell ramen dishes, Schneider said. Tom and Karen Cai own the Hokkaido restaurants.
Hokkaido, Japan, is the namesake for the restaurant, and is the northernmost island of the country's main islands known for its volcanoes, hot springs, and cuisine. An izakaya is a type of pub in Japan that serves food, beer, sake and other drinks.
The restaurant's 11 Japanese-style ramen dishes are made from scratch every day. Making the bone broth is an eight-hour process, and comes in a variety of flavors like chicken, pork, and beef. Broth bases include staple flavors like soy sauce, ginger and shio, garlic and onion and other spicy varieties. Toppings include pork, chicken, bok choy, marinated eggs, bamboo shoots and more.
Ramen dishes range from $10 to $15. Sushi rolls range from $5 to $15.
The menu also includes sushi and sashimi made with high-quality fish like bluefin tuna. Salads and sandwiches are also on the menu.
When customers walk in, they're greeted with the Japanese greeting "Irasshaimase," meaning "Welcome to our store." It makes it a more friendly and authentic experience, Schneider said.
Gabrielle Mozer will be general manager of the Billings locations. Mozer worked at the Helena location and learned how to make the ramen's broth from Tom Cai and his relative from China.
She wrote down the special recipes in a notebook she keeps with her.
"This ramen just hits the spot," Mozer said.
The Hokkaido restaurants also take COVID-19 safety protocols seriously.
Schneider's Helena restaurant continues to operate at 50% capacity and customers and staff are required to wear masks. No COVID-19 cases have been reported by the Helena restaurant staff, however a few cases have been reported at other locations. The Great Falls location is owned by a relative of the Cais, while the Cais own the rest of the locations.
The Helena restaurant has been hitting record numbers since May, Schneider said. Safety will be a big part of the Billings locations, too, and cross-training employees will help if a few staff members have to stay home.
"Anybody with even a half of a sniffle, I don't let them work," Schneider said.
Take-out will be available at both Billings locations. Delivery may also be available for the Heights location.
"We're getting fond of telling first-time visitors, 'You guys got to be careful, this food is really addicting and it's definitely known to cause feelings of comfort and total satisfaction,' " Schneider said.
Retrospective: Billings drive-ins
Retrospective: Billings drive-ins
Fonk's Drive-Inn/Mart's Drive-Inn — 1930s-1940s
One of Billings' earliest drive-in establishments, Fonk's Drive-Inn was located at 3316 First Ave. N. and operated by Mart Phillips. The drive-in was associated with Fonk's Ice Cream , which ran two stores. The restaurant featured free root beers on Saturdays and 25 cent plate lunches. Phillips renamed it to Mart's Drive-Inn in 1940, a name that remained in use for several years until the drive-in was purchased by Harry Stuber, who opened Harry's Drive-Inn.
Bear-Up Drive Inn — 1940s
Located at 1303 N. 27th St., the Bear-Up Drive Inn offered good ol' drive-in standards such as five-cent hamburgers, root beer and shakes, as well as nine bottles of beer for a dollar . The Bear-Up didn't last long, but Jeanette Baker, who owned the drive-in when it closed, later opened the well-known Kit-Kat in the Heights.
Leo's Drive Inn/P-K Drive Inn/Dusty's Drive Inn — 1940s
Opened at 1301 N. 27th St. in 1945, Leo's Drive Inn served students at was at the time known as the Eastern Montana Normal School. Leo T. Qualls , who had previously owned the Jolly Chef restaurant downtown, sold the drive-in in 1947 to C.R. Dustin , who'd previously operated Mart's Drive-Inn from 1944 to 1945. Dustin renamed Leo's to Dusty's Drive-Inn. According to a Billings Senior High Yearbook from 1947 , the drive-in was briefly known as the P-K Drive Inn. It drive-in was listed for sale again in 1949.
Harry's Drive-In — 1940s-1950s
Harry's Drive-In was built on the lot that was formerly home to Mart's Drive-Inn (and before that, Fonk's Drive-Inn) at 3316 First Ave. N. Harry's was operated by Harry Stuber , a registrar at the Eastern Montana Normal School (today known as MSU Billings).
File photo
Wilson's Drive-In — 1940s-1950s
Wilson's Drive-In took the place of Dusty's Drive Inn at 1301 N. 27th St. in 1949. Wilson's featured some menu items that were uncommon at the time, including pork chop sandwiches and frozen candy bars. After a 1951 remodel and expansion, Wilson's lasted nearly two more years before it was purchased by a Missouri family , the Kings.
The Ranch House — 1940s-1950s
The Ranch House was a traditional restaurant that offered curbside service. Located at 404 Cook Ave., it was owned by Irene and Ermal Archer, who went on to open Archer's Beer Depot. In addition to the drive-in service, the Ranch House featured an outdoor beer garden , something that was uncommon at Billings restaurants of the 1940s and 1950s. The Ranch House sold in 1956 .
Farmer John's Drive-Inn — 1940s-1950s
Sharing its name with a nearby auction yard and Enco service station, Farmer John's Drive-Inn opened in 1948 on Laurel Road, northwest of what is now Amend Park. The drive-in suffered a fire in 1952, but reopened and remained in business until at least 1961 . Late in its lifetime, Farmer John's served Mexican specialties on weekends, including tacos, tamales and enchiladas.
City Drive-In — 1940s-1960s
Opened in the 1940s , the City Drive-Inn (which later dropped an "N" from its name) was located at 323 N. 30th St., across from what was then Billings' public middle school (now the Lincoln Center). The drive-in's owners did not shy away from gimmicky menu items, with timely offerings including the "Mambo Burger," released during the 1950s mambo craze, and the "Beatle Burger," released in 1964. But perhaps the most notable item was the "Flying Saucer," a style of sandwich released in 1950 which made its way onto other drive-in menus and is still a popular menu item at Billings' King's Hat Drive-In. The City Drive-In was heavily damaged by a fire in 1965.
Ruth's Drive-Inn — 1950s
Ruth's Drive-Inn was the successor to Harry's Drive-Inn at 3316 First Ave. N. Ruth's, which opened in 1951, featured both carhop service and a dining room, and was among the early Billings drive-ins to feature its own specialty menu item: the "Hula-Hut" sandwich .
King's Drive-In — 1950s
Opened by Rusty and Eunice King, King's Drive-In took the place of Wilson's Drive-In at 1301 N. 27th St. The drive-in featured a massive menu that included such nontraditional drive-in fare as pasties and oyster stew, as well as double-decker hamburgers known as the Kingburger and the Queen Burger. After selling the drive-in, the Kings opened a steakhouse on Monad Road, and the more well-known King's Cafe (pictured, right) at 1111 Main Street in the Heights.
The Rims Drive-In — 1950s
Opened in December 1955, the Rims Drive-In replaced King's Drive-In on North 27th Street. William Ball, who owned an Anaconda drive-in before moving to Billings, planned to move the former Ruth's Drive-In building from First Avenue North to the King's Drive-In site. Ball eventually built a brand-new building (pictured). The drive-in, which offered standard drive-in fare such as burgers and shakes, as well as steaks, seafood and pizza , was destroyed by an explosion suspected to be caused by arson in May 1957. A Westward Ho Lodge motel was built on the site, and after several name changes, that motel is now the Rodeway Inn. Ball later opened the Broken Drum supper club in the Heights.
File photo
Village Inn/Village Drive-Inn — 1950s
Located across the old East Bridge in Lockwood, the Village Inn (unrelated to the later Tennessee-based chain of the same name) was a traditional restaurant that offered curbside service. The Village Inn heavily promoted its alcoholic beverages , something few other drive-ins did at the time. Beginning in 1952, the drive-in featured a Comet Drive-In intercom, a type of speaker system common in later drive-ins. The site later became home to Wong's Village Inn, better known as Wong Village .
Fountain Drive-In — 1950s-1960s
The Fountain Drive-In was, at the time it opened, located outside of the city limits at 2010 Main St. The Fountain featured menu items such as fried Cornish game hen, sauerbraten and pizza pocket burgers. A later iteration of the Fountain, located at 1214 Main Street , was in business in the late 1960s.
Bench Drive-In — 1950s
"Look for the ORANGE STAND" ads for the Bench Drive-In proclaimed during its short lifespan in the mid-1950s. The drive-in was located along Main Street in the Billings Heights, at the time commonly referred to as Highway 10. The Bench Drive-In advertised traditional drive-in fare such as hamburgers, ten-cent "dimeburgers," and an exclusive item known as a "squaredog."
Frostop — 1950s-1980s
Part of a widespread drive-in chain that traces its roots to Springfiled, Ohio in the 1920s, two Frostop drive-ins opened in Billings, beginning in the late 1950s with a franchise location at 1504 Broadwater Ave. A second location, pictured, opened in the 1960s at 601 Main St. in the Heights. Both locations were closed by the end of the 1980s. A few Frostop locations remain in business in other states.
LARRY MAYER, Billings Gazette file photo
Kit-Kat Drive Inn — 1950s-2000s (sort of)
Longtime Billings residents will recognize the pictured restaurant as the Kit-Kat Cafe, which was a Main Street landmark for half a century before its demolition in the early 2000s. But early Kit-Kat patrons will know that the restaurant began its life in the 1950s as a drive-in with curbside service. The iconic neon sign even read "Kit Kat Drive Inn" for many years before the "Drive Inn" part was removed. A Taco Bell restaurant stands on the property today.
LARRY MAYER, Billings Gazette file photo
Nye's Ice Cream — 1950s-???
Specializing exclusively in ice cream, Nye's Ice Cream Drive-In was a service of Paul Nye's dairy at 910 Poly Dr. The dairy remained in business into the 1980s, by which time it was operated under the Jersey dairy brand . The former creamery address, north of Hilands Golf Club, now points to a group of townhouses.
Angle Inn/Mary Lou's Angle Inn — 1950s-1960s
Originally located at 10 Fifth St. W. , near the Scoop Bar, the Angle Inn later operated at 1046 Grand Ave. under the ownership of Mary Lou and Willard Spencer. Home to the "Angleburger," the restaurant was popular with high school students of the 1960s. In 1969, the property at 1046 Grand Ave. became home to Montana's first McDonald's restaurant, which was, ironically, one of the first in the nation to have a complete indoor dining room.
Billings Senior High School
BBB Drive-In Cafe — 1950s
Located at 5061 Main St. the BBB Drive-In Cafe (also called the 3 Bs Cafe) advertised itself as the first place in Billings to get a submarine sandwich .
The Treat — 1950s-1960s
Located at a site formerly occupied by a different type of drive-in (Rainbow Cleaners' dry cleaning drive-in pick-up station ), The Treat was owned by Charles Trumbo, who previously owned the Top Hat Cafe and its associated drive-in, the Top Hat Jr. The Treat opened in 1954 and was closed by the early 1960s.
File photo
Ridge's Drive Inn/Dew Drive Inn/Sox Drive-In/Poor Boy Drive-In — 1950s-1960s
Opened in September 1958, Ridge's Drive Inn was situated at 1313 Central Ave. and served drive-in standards. By the spring of 1960, Ridge's was renamed to the Dew Drive Inn (yes, "drive" and not "drop") and was under new management. The address became home to several other drive-ins over the years, including the Sox Drive-In , which was operated by Dick and Doris Novasio, and the Poor Boy Drive-In , which opened in 1965 and was sold in 1988 .
Big Boy Drive-Inn/Jolly Boy Drive Inn — 1950s-1970s
Operated by the Slovak family, which formerly ran the City Drive-Inn, the first Big Boy Drive-Inn was opened in 1951 at 105 S. 37th St. Two other locations opened over the years, including one at 129 Rimrock Road, across from Eastern Montana College, and another next to the Shrine Auditorium on Broadwater Avenue. The Big Boy name was changed after the Slovaks were threatened with a lawsuit by the unrelated, California-based Big Boy chain. The Billings drive-ins were the earliest places to get Kentucky Fried Chicken in Montana. The original Big Boy location, pictured, is now home to the King's Hat. The Rimrock Road location is long gone, having once served as EMC's security office , while the Broadwater location, the last one owned by the Slovaks , became the Jolly Boy Drive Inn before it was replaced by a full-time KFC restaurant in the early 1970s. That building is still standing today, though it is no longer a restaurant.
File photo
Big Boy Drive-Inn — Broadwater location — 1950s-1970s
The 1031 Broadwater Ave. Big Boy Drive-Inn location was the first place in Montana to serve Kentucky Fried Chicken, predating standalone KFC locations. Colonel Sanders himself appeared at the grand opening of the restaurant. The building was later expanded into a larger one, which today retains the distinctive shape of many older KFC restaurants.
File photos
A&W — 1950s-2010s (sort of)
Part of a nationwide chain of root beer drive-ins, the first A&W restaurant in Billings opened in 1955 at the corner of Grand Avenue and 9th Street West. Initially limited to the small stand pictured, the restaurant expanded in 1960 , around the same time a new location opened in the Heights. By the early 1970s, there were four locations in Billings — 1202 N. 27th St., 905 Grand Ave., 2208 Central Ave. and 719 Main St. — as well as one in Laurel. A&W locations continued to operate in various locations in Yellowstone County into the 2010s, though not all in the same drive-in format.
File photo
Sandy's/Sandee's — 1950s-1990s, 2010s-present
Opened in the fall of 1959 as a year-round drive-in, Sandy's was part of an Illinois-based chain. The first of two Billings Sandy's locations, at 511 Grand Ave., was situated in a perfect spot to serve students at nearby Billings Senior High School. The Sandy's chain merged with Hardee's in the 1970s, and by 1979, most locations became Hardee's restaurants. The Sandy's locations in Billings, which were independently owned, changed their name to Sandee's, while Sandy's in Great Falls became Zandy's . The Grand Avenue Sandee's closed in in 1997, and was converted into an architecture office two years later. Sandee's has since been resurrected at 1125 S. 27th St., at 2816 Old Hardin Road in Lockwood, and as a food truck.
Billings Senior High School
Rod's Hamburgers — 1960s
Rod's Hamburgers took the place of Larry's Drive-In at 1516 Grand Ave. in 1967. The drive-in, pictured here in a photo from the 1968 Billings Senior High School yearbook, operated simultaneously with Rod's El Toro Mexican restaurant , which featured a singing chef, Jose Chavez .
Billings Senior High School
Boot Hill Drive-In — 1960s
Destroyed by a fryer fire after just a short time in business, the Boot Hill Drive-In was located at 605 Main St. in the Heights.
Dog 'n Suds — 1960s-1970s
Another example of a nationwide chain that made its way to Billings, a Dog 'n Suds location operated in the 1960s behind West Park Plaza and next to Jubilee Lanes at the corner of 17th Street West and Avenue D. Offering "Charco-burgers" and, of course, Coney dogs, the drive-in changed hands several times before closing in the early 1970s. The building was torn down to make room for an office building in 1973. A large apartment complex occupies the site today.
The King's Hat Drive-In — 1970s-present
Tracing its roots back to the the local Big Boy chain of the 1950s and 1960s, the King's Hat occupies the same building that was once home to the Slovaks' Southside Big Boy at 105 S. 37th St. Though not strictly speaking a drive-in by modern definition (it's more of a drive-through), the King's Hat's lineage grandfathers it into Billings' drive-in history. The King's Hat still serves flying saucer sandwiches.
LARRY MAYER, Billings Gazette
The Hop — 1980s-2000s
The Hop opened in 1988 in the former Poor Boy Drive-In location at 1313 Central Ave., and capitalized on the nostalgia factor of true drive-ins. The restaurant featured 1950s and 1960s decor and a jukebox inside, and had carhops at certain times of day to serve customers at their cars. The Hop closed in the early 2000s and the building was demolished to make way for a commercial garage and used auto lot.
Billings Gazette file photo
Sonic — 2010s-present
Possibly America's most well-known drive-in chain still in operation, Oklahoma-based Sonic opened its first and only Billings location in 2011. Located on Main Street, the restaurant is a true drive-in, with carhops and individual intercom systems for each vehicle stall.
DAVID GRUBBS, Billings Gazette file photo
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