A popular bar and restaurant in downtown Kalispell is closing and will reopen under new management in early March.
Brian Scotti-Belli, executive chef at the Italian restaurant sharing his last name, is taking over North Bay Grille and will reopen restaurant under the name 406 Bar and Grille. Scotti-Belli hopes to open the new restaurant during the first week of March.
“We’re changing it up and we’re going to make it a more laidback experience with tapas, small plates and cool cocktails,” he said.
North Bay has been a staple in Kalispell for the better part of a decade, but Scotti-Belli said the owners, who also own establishments in Bozeman and Helena, wanted to focus on their ventures in the southern part of the state. They approached Scotti-Belli late last year about taking over North Bay.
“They wanted someone dedicated to the Flathead Valley and someone local, so they came to me,” he said.
ScottiBelli’s in downtown Kalispell, which is owned by Brian Scotti-Belli’s parents, has been branching out in recent years. A few years ago the family opened ScottiBelli’s Pizzeria just north of downtown and last year they opened ScottiBelli’s Acqua Pazza in Lakeside.
Scotti-Belli said that although the new 406 Bar and Grille is located right behind ScottiBelli’s backdoor in downtown Kalispell, he is not worried about the two restaurants taking business from each other.
“The more options there are the more people will come,” he said.
For the two weeks North Bay is closed after Feb. 21, the restaurant will be refurbished and given a fresh look. The staff will be retrained as well and Scotti-Belli will revamp the menu.