Helenans make huge donation; welcome first Chili's in state

This week's opening of Romano's Macaroni Grille was a boon to the St. Peter's Hospital Foundation.

Prior to Thursday's ribbon-cutting and official opening, the restaurant served an invite-only guest list for three days, giving the kitchen and wait staffs a chance to get used to their new place of employ. The meals were officially complimentary, but guests who wanted to pay could do so, with all the proceeds going to the foundation. The results: Helenans donated $14,200, a total matched 50 percent by the Murdock Foundation for a total gift to the foundation of $21,300.

Meanwhile, it turns out Helena will have the first Chili's in the state after all. Daniel Boyd, vice president of development with Great Falls-based Shoot the Moon, which owns the franchise rights to both restaurants in Montana (along with the rights to On the Border Mexican Grille), said that construction here is ahead of work on a similar two-for-one restaurant building in the Electric City. The Chili's that's attached to Macaroni Grille should open in early December, he said.

Macaroni Grille hired around 130 workers, with Chili's to add an additional 100-plus. Boyd said the hiring process wasn't easy in Helena's tight labor market.

"This was one of the more difficult ones. We had to get creative" in advertising for workers, he said.

The two restaurants share a building to take advantage of a single liquor license. The company is contemplating a three-for-one building in Billings. And Boyd wouldn't rule out an On the Border Mexican restaurant in Helena. All three chains are part of Dallas-based Brinker International.

"Depending upon how the public receives these two restaurants, we'd love to bring On the Border here," he said.

In other Skyway Shopping Center news, American Federal Savings Bank is the latest business to announce its intent to move to the rapidly filling commercial development.

The bank has a buy-sell agreement in place for a branch at Skyway. Officials hope to close on the property at the end of October and break ground on a new branch, the third in town, next spring.

Another resturant is on the move, but the franchise owner wasn't ready to announce a new location this week. The lease at the Burger King on North Montana Avenue is up this month, and that restaurant is the last domino to fall before room can be made for a new Walgreens pharmacy long planned for that block at the intersection with 11th Avenue.

Glenn Oakes of Pogo Investments in Bozeman, which owns both local Burger Kings, said the group is actually looking for two new locations in Helena, but hasn't found either yet. (The restaurant in front of Wal-Mart will remain open.) He hopes to have an announcement next month.

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