By Roger Porter
Long a prominent facility in Northwestern Montana, Kalispell' Bulldog Convention Center WestCoast Outlaw Inn will play host to the 52nd annual Montana Tavern Association Convention and Trade Show to be held September 10-13.
At the time it was built the Outlaw was the premier lodging facility in that part of the state. Today the Outlaw still sports all the amenities of a first class convention center, however it has gotten even better with the addition of the Bulldog saloon and restaurant a couple of years ago.
The Bulldog is in charge of the dining and lounge facilities under the tutelage of Tim Lannaghan and that addition has helped the Outlaw become "the place to be once more."
Perhaps the most exciting thing about the Outlaw is the new ownership which took over June 7. Bryan D. Scott, who hails from southeastern Idaho, completed his purchase of the Outlaw and immediately set to work on an extensive remodeling plan which is fine tuned and ready to kick off within the next 30 days.
Relying on the strengths of the past, Scott expects to serve up the ingredients which have made the Outlaw outstanding in the past, such as quality, consistency, top flight service and a local personal touch.
Enter his office and you'll get a glimpse into the Outlaw's future as you can peruse the entire spectrum of changes on the horizon from color schemes to carpeting to bedspreads.
Like a baby. the gestation period is expected to be around nine months with the upgrades well in place by the beginning of the 2008 tourist season.
So while at the convention, enjoy the last of an era and plan to return next year to glimpse the new Outlaw in all its new glory.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, September, 2007, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.