Stella Fong: The award for Outstanding Restaurateur is given to a restaurateur who uses their establishments as a vehicle for building community, demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship, and integrity in restaurant operations. The announcement was made in late January. Brett Evje first received wind of the news through his marketing manager.
Brett Evje: Hey congratulations and I said, ‘For what?’ You got a nomination and I said ‘What? How did that come about?’ I was confused by it for sure. I mean obviously I am proud of what we do but I don’t really chase recognition much, so I was just surprised that it came about.
Stella Fong: Evje and Oschner began their restaurant journey with the purchase of PLONK in 2009 to establishing JW Heist Steakhouse in 2023 to opening Stockman’s Bar last year. From that first day in 2009 they rolled up their sleeves and diligently strived to make the business succeed with honest hard work.
Brett Evje: I think that’s been our guiding principle for us since day one and honestly, I don’t know any other way.
Stella Fong: Evje admits to being uncomfortable with the compliments that have been directed to him. In the midst of all the recognition …
Brett Evje: Otherwise it’s day to day, dishwashers calling in sick and we’re trying to get shifts covered.
Stella Fong: PLONK, a wine bar and community gathering space, offers fine wines, food, cocktails and music.
Brett Evje: Earl Langeland was the guy who started PLONK. We actually bought it in 2009 from him. It was his vision. He’s the guy that put it all together, him and his partner Michael Wilson.
Stella Fong: And why did Evje and Oschner believe that a wine bar would thrive in Bozeman?
Brett Evje: We really saw a hole in the market, and I think it was a precursor for Bozeman specifically. I think there were a lot of people saying a wine bar in little ag town Bozeman. Nobody thought it would succeed.
Stella Fong: The duo picked up what they thought was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” They expanded the opportunity to Missoula four years later where Evje’s wife is from and he had started his restaurant career. Then in 2023, when the space west of PLONK became available, the pair opened JW Heist Steakhouse, a high end steakhouse housed in a space with wood paneling and original artwork.
Brett Evje: It’s named after my great grandfather JW Heist. His father Solomon which was my great great grandfather who homesteaded right up against Yellowstone outside of Gardiner and JW, his name was Walter and we all called him Walter, I called him grandpa, I guess. He was a cattleman. They raised cows in the original homestead and he moved to Manhattan and his goal was to raise prized bull Herefords. He was a pretty simple guy.
Stella Fong: That simple guy, a Montana ag man, now carries the name of an elegant steakhouse and one wonders if Walter would have actually dined at this fancy place.
Brett Evje: I’ve said to my family. You know, it’s probably not a place it would have ever gone to but they all reminded me that if you owned it he will go there.
Stella Fong: Last year, the duo took on another project, opening a bar with the name that is found in most small towns in Montana.
Brett Evje: I just saw that there was a need for a true Western style bar. PLONK was in Stockman’s from 1942 to 1972. And so in thinking about how we were going to brand it I really wanted this upscale cattleman’s bar that represented old school Montana.
Stella Fong: Since PLONK is only one door down, Evje is bringing back that legacy. For the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur recognition, the dual demonstrated their creativity in entrepreneurship by locating their businesses in Bozeman right next door to each other.
Brett Evje: We use the same liquor license throughout all three. In today’s market the price of liquor licenses in Bozeman specifically, it was something that we couldn’t have done it without that adjacency so we waited and waited for adjacent properties both for Heist and for Stockman’s opened up and we knew we could execute for what we wanted to do.
Stella Fong: And what is it that they wanted to do, putting three restaurants and bars together?
Brett Evje: They’re all really symbiotic with each other. They don’t cannibalize each other. They all got their own thing. I think the mentality of having more than one restaurant whether they’re the same ownership or even individual ownerships in an area, brings that people to that area. So somebody comes down, one place is full then they can go to the next place or get a drink before they go to dinner. There’s lots of benefit we can see from that.
Stella Fong: One of the main benefits for Evje is …
Brett Evje: The beautiful part is that on a Friday night I can walk inside in the middle of winter from one to the other and just look at operations.
Stella Fong: The top three nominees for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards will be announced on March 31.
Brett Evje: I’m astonished by the amount of representation in Montana in this award. When I look through the list and you’re comparing yourself to New York city and to Seattle and to San Francisco I am just blown away at the quality of all the restaurateurs that are in this town working hard and doing great things.
