A new Panda Express will officially open its doors in Great Falls on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. The restaurant is located at West Bank Landing along Third Street NW, between Jersey Mike’s and the Verizon store.
To celebrate the opening, the first 88 guests arriving on Tuesday at 9 a.m. will receive a free Panda Express t-shirt.
The restaurant’s regular hours will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with the drive-thru staying open until 10:30 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, hours extend until 10:30 p.m., with the drive-thru open until 11 p.m.
This will be the second Panda Express in Great Falls, following the first location that opened several years ago at 1020 57th Street South, near Walmart.
In addition to Panda Express, Wendy’s is preparing to open a second location in Great Falls. This new Wendy’s is being constructed at 139 Northwest Bypass, located between Domino’s Pizza and Sherwin-Williams Paint Store.
Construction for the new Wendy’s began a few weeks ago, and the company is aiming for an opening in late September or early October. Great Falls’ first Wendy’s is located at 806 Tenth Avenue South.
Another major addition coming to Great Falls is Pizza Ranch, a popular chain known for its buffet offering pizza, chicken, and more. The new location will feature a large arcade zone, covering more than 5,000 square feet, along with party rooms.
According to a spokesperson, the Great Falls store at 2515 10th Avenue South will be the largest Pizza Ranch in the state.
The spokesperson stated, “We’ll be taking over the former Joann Fabric space, which gives us 15,000 square feet to work with.”
Joann Fabric, which closed at the end of June, is expected to reopen at Holiday Village Mall, although an exact timeline for both Pizza Ranch and Joann Fabric’s openings has yet to be confirmed.
Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is also planning to establish itself in Great Falls, taking over the former Boston’s Pizza site on Seventh Street South. The new restaurant will undergo significant renovations, including the addition of a casino with a separate entrance. According to Mike Malmberg, Vice President of the Johnson Restaurant Group overseeing the Great Falls location, “Studies show a separate entrance makes it a more social environment than a traditional bar.”
Old Chicago plans to offer 40 craft beers on tap, with an emphasis on featuring local brews. This will be the fourth Old Chicago in Montana, joining locations in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula. The exact opening date has not yet been announced.