bake - February 2014 - 58

cafe

Big Pizza in Big Sky
Thirteen years ago, when Christian and Amy Johnsen purchased

Village. In the winter time, the ski resort pulls in all kinds of

Blue Moon Bakery in the remote ski village of Big Sky, MT (popu-

tourists. In the summer time, there's a lot of rafting and ﬁshing.

lation: 2,308), they ﬁgured the sky was the limit on how success-

We're about 10 to 15 miles from Yellowstone National Park. For

fully they might grow their new business. After all, Big Sky ranks

us, we have to make the most of ﬁve months of the year. It deﬁ-

as Montana's favorite ski resort, based on online reviews, and

nitely creates challenges for your labor staff."

millions of tourists ﬂock to this area every year for its jaw-dropping scenery, winter skiing and summer ﬂy ﬁshing and rafting.

Fortunately, their bakery business survived the recession, and
now business is back on track to pre-recession levels. "We do

The Johnsens took over a traditional bakery and immediately

hundreds of pizzas a day-about 300 pizzas on our busiest

added pizza to the menu. "It seemed like a natural ﬁt," says

day," Johnsen says. "Big Sky is deﬁnitely on the rebound."

Christian, who had previous experience in foodservice and
pizza operations. "As a bakery, you already have the ingredients

More tourists ﬂocked to Montana in 2012 than in any previous

for pizza on hand. We added a pizza conveyor oven, on which

year in state history, according to recent research from the

we made our pizzas, toasted our bagels and cooked eggs for

University of Montana. The tourism and travel industry helped

our egg sandwiches. That really helped make our production

buoy the state through the economic downturn and keep

run faster. We started serving pizza by the slice straight off the

regional economies aﬂoat. According to UM's Institute for

counter for quick service. That really fueled our success."

Tourism and Recreation Research, 10.8 million people visited
Big Sky Country, an increase of 2% from 2011. Spending by

Then about eight years later came the recession. A drop in

those visitors increased about 15% from the year before,

tourism and real estate-the lifeblood of Montana-followed.

totaling $3.27 billion.

Business at Blue Moon Bakery suffered.
To keep pace with growing pizza demand, Blue Moon Bakery
"Here, we have a very seasonal business," he says. "It's all about

recently invested in a new triple-stack conveyor pizza oven

tourism and real estate. We're about six or seven miles from the

from XLT Inc., based in Wichita, KS. Johnsen liked what he

base of the ski slopes, in a cluster of businesses called Meadow

saw while attending a food show last year and decided it was
well worth the investment. "XLT
offers very reliable ovens," he says.

"For us, we have to make the most of five
months of the year. It definitely creates
challenges for your labor staff."
Christian Johnsen, co-owner of Blue Moon Bakery

"The pizzas we are doing now
are better than we've ever made
before. You deﬁnitely get good at
it after 10 years."
Their hand-made pizza dough
requires anywhere from eight
hours to 24 hours to prepare from

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