Montana's

Montana's is a Canadian casual-dining restaurant brand specializing in barbecue-oriented food and a roadhouse-style dining experience. Its menu is associated with smoked pork ribs, steaks, burgers, chicken, beer, and other familiar North American comfort foods. The chain operates under the Montana's BBQ & Bar name, while some historical references use the earlier Montana's Cookhouse or Montana's Cookhouse Saloon branding. The concept originated in 1995 as a subsidiary of Kelseys Original Roadhouse. The idea was developed by Kelseys owner Paul Jeffery and company president Nils Kravis. Montana's initially grew as part of the Canadian casual-dining portfolio associated with Kelseys. In 1999, Cara Operations acquired a controlling interest in Kelseys, bringing Montana's into the wider corporate group. Cara completed its acquisition of the remaining interest in 2002; Cara later became known as Recipe Unlimited Corporation. Montana's has primarily served the Canadian market. The chain has had locations in the Canadian provinces, with the exception of Quebec, and no reported locations in the territories in the cited reference material. It previously operated in the United States, including restaurants in Michigan and New York, but those locations were closed by February 2009. The reference material reports 94 Canadian restaurants, compared with 105 in 2010, indicating a smaller footprint than at its earlier peak, although restaurant counts can change over time. Beginning in 2015, the brand undertook a broader identity shift toward Montana's BBQ & Bar. The updated name retains the barbecue heritage while presenting the restaurants as a more complete casual-bar and dining destination. The brand has also participated in broader customer-engagement initiatives, including a partnership with Scene, now Scene+, beginning in February 2015. Montana's broadened its profile beyond restaurant operations in 2024 when it became the title sponsor of the Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship. The sponsorship replaced Tim Hortons, which had held the title sponsorship beginning in 2005. The relationship connects Montana's barbecue and Canadian identity with a major national sporting and community event. Today, Montana's remains a Canadian restaurant brand within Recipe Unlimited's portfolio. Its positioning combines approachable casual dining, barbecue-focused menu items, informal hospitality, and rustic visual cues rather than premium fine dining or narrowly specialized quick service.

Montana's began in 1995 as a restaurant concept created within Kelseys Original Roadhouse. The concept was developed by Kelseys owner Paul Jeffery and its president, Nils Kravis. From the outset, the brand was designed around a casual roadhouse proposition, using barbecue, smoked meats, steaks, burgers, and informal hospitality to distinguish it from more conventional family restaurants. The business initially operated as Montana's Cookhouse, with the longer Montana's Cookhouse Saloon name also used in the brand's earlier history. Its identity emphasized rustic décor and a North American barbecue theme. The format was suited to suburban and regional restaurant locations, where customers could order recognizable comfort food in a relaxed dine-in setting. A major corporate transition occurred in 1999, when Cara Operations obtained a controlling interest in Kelseys. Because Montana's was part of the Kelseys business, the transaction brought the restaurant chain into Cara's expanding portfolio. Cara completed the acquisition of the entire company in 2002. The parent company subsequently became known as Recipe Unlimited Corporation, under which Montana's continues to operate. The chain expanded across Canada and also made an attempt to operate outside the country. Its United States locations in Michigan and New York were closed by February 2009, leaving Canada as the brand's principal and continuing market. The cited reference describes an established presence in all Canadian provinces except Quebec and no locations in the three territories. It also reports 94 restaurants, compared with 105 in 2010, reflecting a reduction from the chain's earlier reported Canadian footprint. In 2015, Montana's began rebranding toward the name Montana's BBQ & Bar. The change placed the barbecue proposition more prominently in the public-facing identity and highlighted the restaurant's beverage and social-dining role. The brand also entered a loyalty partnership with Scene in February 2015; Scene was later known as Scene+. Montana's expanded its external marketing profile through sports sponsorship in 2024. It became the title sponsor of The Brier, the Canadian men's curling championship, replacing Tim Hortons, which had sponsored the event since 2005. The sponsorship positioned Montana's alongside a prominent Canadian sporting property and reinforced its national-market identity. The brand's current role is that of a Canadian casual-dining chain within Recipe Unlimited's multi-brand restaurant portfolio. Its core proposition remains relatively consistent with the original concept: barbecue-centered food, a relaxed dining environment, and a rustic roadhouse presentation. The BBQ & Bar identity reflects an effort to express both the food specialization and the social, beverage-oriented aspects of the restaurant format.

• 2024

  Montana's becomes title sponsor of The Brier

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  The brand becomes title sponsor of Canada's men's curling championship, replacing Tim Hortons.

• 2015

  Rebranding as Montana's BBQ & Bar begins

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  The chain begins shifting its customer-facing identity toward Montana's BBQ & Bar.

• 2015

  Scene loyalty partnership begins

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  Montana's begins a partnership with Scene, the loyalty program later known as Scene+.

• 2009

  United States locations close

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  Montana's closes its reported locations in Michigan and New York, ending the cited United States operation.

• 2002

  Cara completes the Kelseys acquisition

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  Cara completes its acquisition of the entire Kelseys business, including Montana's.

• 1999

  Cara Operations acquires controlling interest in Kelseys

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  Cara Operations obtains control of Kelseys, bringing Montana's into its restaurant portfolio.

• 1995

  Montana's Cookhouse opens

  [1]Montana'sen.wikipedia.org

  Montana's begins operations as a subsidiary of Kelseys Original Roadhouse, using a barbecue-oriented casual-dining concept.

Mid-market Canadian casual dining with a barbecue-led menu and rustic roadhouse atmosphere.

• Barbecue

  Smoked pork ribs

  Smoked pork ribs are one of Montana's signature menu associations and a central expression of the brand's barbecue positioning. They anchor the restaurant's emphasis on slow-cooked, sauced, informal comfort food.

• Grill

  Steaks

  Steaks form part of the brand's broader grill-oriented offering. They complement the barbecue menu and help position Montana's as a full-service casual restaurant rather than a narrowly focused barbecue outlet.

• Casual dining

  Burgers

  Burgers provide a familiar, accessible part of Montana's menu and fit the chain's roadhouse and North American comfort-food identity.

• Restaurant format · 2015

  Montana's BBQ & Bar

  Montana's BBQ & Bar is the brand identity adopted during the rebranding that began in 2015. The name combines the chain's established barbecue association with its casual bar and social-dining format.

• 2024The Brier title sponsorship

  Canada

  Montana's became the title sponsor of The Brier, Canada's men's curling championship. The sponsorship connected the restaurant brand with a nationally recognized Canadian sporting event. Montana's became the title sponsor of The Brier, Canada's men's curling championship. The sponsorship connected the restaurant brand with a nationally recognized Canadian sporting event and replaced Tim Hortons, which had sponsored the event beginning in 2005.

  Outcome. Montana's replaced Tim Hortons as title sponsor after Tim Hortons had sponsored the event beginning in 2005.

  Source

• 2024

  Selection as title sponsor of The BrierOther

  Background

  The Brier is Canada's national men's curling championship and had been sponsored by Tim Hortons beginning in 2005.

  Action taken

  Montana's became the event's title sponsor.

  Aftermath

  The sponsorship gave Montana's a prominent national sports-marketing platform in Canada.

  Source

• 2015

  Adoption of the Montana's BBQ & Bar identityStrategy

  Background

  The chain had historically operated under Montana's Cookhouse and related names while building recognition around barbecue and roadhouse dining.

  Action taken

  Montana's began rebranding its restaurants and customer-facing identity as Montana's BBQ & Bar.

  Aftermath

  The newer name more explicitly communicated the brand's barbecue focus and its casual bar-oriented dining format.

  Source

1. 1Montana'sen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Montana's official websitemontanas.ca