Grizzly Jacks casino sold to Texas couple

Bigfork Eagle

 A Texas couple has purchased the former Grizzly Jack’s casino and restaurant in Bigfork.

Shawn Taylor and Stan Taylor have been busy remodeling the log buliding at the corner of Montana Highway 35 and 83 into a private residence with space for retail and commercial offices for their businesses.

Stan is the owner of American Airboats, a manufacturer of air-powered motor boats based in Orange, Texas. The company makes airboats for recreation, search and rescue and fire departments. The new Bigfork location will be the headquarters for the company’s northwest sales and service division, he said. The airboats are popular in the south and can go where jet-propelled or motorboats cannot, he said. “Some places in the south, it’s either this or a helicopter,” he said.

It was a “stroke of luck” that the couple found the property, Stan said. They had been looking at property in the Flathead Valley about six weeks ago, focusing on the  Whitefish area. On their way out of town back to Texas, they saw the Grizzly Jacks property and called the real estate agent. They made an offer on the property the next day.

Several semi-truck trailers hauled some of their belongings from Texas to Bigfork. Carpenters and other workers have been busy refurbishing the former casino into a private residence. The large downstairs will have seven bedrooms for guests, Shawn said.

Shawn said she may use part of the facility for a retail Christmas store.

Stan said he’s looking forward to being a part of the Bigfork community. “I thought I loved Texas until I saw Bigfork,” he said. “What an awesome place to do business.”

The property was listed for $499,000 when it sold.