The ownership group behind Enbar and The Block has unveiled its latest business venture in downtown Great Falls: Big Dipper Ice Cream.
Founded in 1995, Big Dipper Ice Cream has been delighting Montana with its hand-dipped ice cream, earning recognition from Good Morning America and USA Today. With locations already in Missoula, Helena, and Billings, the popular ice cream chain has now opened its doors at 426 Central Avenue, on the corner of Fifth Street and Central Avenue, in the former site of Colored Snow.
“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 Tianna Ford, co-owner of Big Dipper.
Ford highlighted the growth and vibrancy of downtown Great Falls, noting, “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.”
Big Dipper offers a variety of flavors, from traditional options like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, to unique choices such as Mexican chocolate, cardamom, bubble gum, and El Salvador coffee. “We’re known for our Big Dipper sundaes; you can make it a ‘starship’ by adding bananas or brownies. We have great shakes, great floats, and of course, homemade waffle cones,” Ford added.
The creamery operates from 11 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week. Adjacent to Big Dipper is another new venture, the Sidequest arcade bar, which opened several weeks ago and features retro video games like Pac-Man, pinball machines, and air hockey.
