Havre 4B's is last to go in Montana

Alan Sorensen Havre Daily News [email protected]

The Hainline family has divested itself of its last Montana restaurant as of Tuesday Havre's 4B's Restaurant and Black Angus Casino. The restaurant remains open but under new ownership, while the casino, also under new ownership, is closed pending remodeling. “I'm keeping all the employees and operating it as the 4B's,” said Steve Schmidt, JB's and 4B's division manager for Star Buffet. “All the employees kept their original hire dates.” The restaurant will remain open 24 hours a day seven days a week, he added. Schmidt said the building was purchased by John Dehler of Billings, who is leasing the restaurant to Star Buffet Inc., a multi-state restaurant corporation. Schmidt said Star Buffet already bought the 4B's Restaurants in Miles City and Great Falls and is operating them as 4B's, too. It also owns JB's Restaurants in Great Falls and Billings. Schmidt said Dehler is scheduled to be in Havre next week. “I don't know what the new name is going to be or anything,” Schmidt said of the casino Wednesday. “He's going to pull all the machines out today.” Schmidt said he is in the process of trying to find a manager for the business that has been a mainstay in the Havre community since the early 1970s. Star Buffet took over the business Tuesday and brought in Marg Anderson, the manager of its Great Falls 4B's, to help in the transition. Havre's was the last in the 4B's 14-store chain store remaining in Montana. The company began selling off its stores in April. Town Pump bought six of the restaurants, three in Missoula and one each in Great Falls, Hamilton and Polson. The Deer Lodge 4B's, the second store opened by the Hainlines, closed early in the summer. Schmidt said the last Billings 4B's closed last month. The restaurant chain, founded in 1947 by Bill Hainline Sr., had included stores throughout the Northwest. Schmidt said he plans no immediate major changes in the restaurant. “We have to get management in place that we want,” he said. “It all takes time. Our company does buy a lot of existing restaurants, and we take it one step at a time. “Hopefully, next spring we'll make some improvements, paint the front of the building. Right now, we have to put everyone in our payroll system.” He estimated that the Havre restaurant employs 35 to 40 people, some as part-time help. “They have a lot of employees who have been here a long time,” Schmidt said. “They're pretty happy we stayed Open.” Three employees working Wednesday afternoon concurred. “ I l ike i t ; s ome thing different,” said Pauline St. Pierre, a cook at the restaurant for 11 years. Waitress Judy Kelm has worked every job 4B's in the five years she been a t the restaurant. “I think it's all good,” she s a i d a b o u t t h e n e w management. Rochelle Cooper, who had waitressed at 4B's before, has been back at the Havre store for eight years. “It's all right, so far,” she said, throwing a smile toward Schmidt. “We still have our jobs.”