GREAT FALLS — The ownership group that brought Enbar and The Block to downtown Great Falls has officially opened its newest business venture — Big Dipper Ice Cream.
Big Dipper Ice Cream (website) — which is based in Missoula — has been serving sweet treats in Montana since 1995.
Known for its hand-dipped ice cream, it’s a crowd-pleaser around the state with locations in Missoula, Helena, and Billings, and it has been featured on both Good Morning America and USA Today.
“It’s a Montana staple; everybody loves ice cream, it’s fun, it’s delicious. I knew that we wanted to bring that element to downtown Great Falls, and no better place than the little corner where other restaurants and businesses are,” said Big Dipper co-owner Tianna Ford.
“Great Falls downtown is really growing, it’s becoming really vibrant, and the corner of Fifth and Central is where the concerts are happening, like Downtown Summer Jam [and the] Fourth of July Hootenanny. There’s a lot of new businesses in the area, and we just wanted to keep the energy flowing downtown, keep the fun happening,” Ford noted.
Big Dipper serves up traditional flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry — and also some less traditional options, including Mexican chocolate, cardamom, bubble gum, and El Salvador coffee.
“We’re known for our Big Dipper sundaes; you can make it a ‘starship’ when you add bananas or brownies. We have great shakes, great floats, and of course, homemade waffle cones,” said Ford.
The ice-creamery is at 426 Central Avenue (corner of Fifth Street and Central Avenue), in the former site of Colored Snow in downtown Great Falls. It is open from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week.
Big Dipper also has two locations in Missoula, one in Billings and one in Helena.
