Japanese steakhouse chain coming to North Kalispell

One local restaurateur is banking that Kalispell has an appetite for more ethnic cuisine and is opening a new Kobe Steakhouse at 85 Treeline Road, near Cabela’s on the north end of Kalispell.

A building permit issued by the city values the project at about $800,000 to revamp a building that was already established in the Spring Prairie subdivision. The space will be 5,000 square feet and can accommodate just over 200 customers at a time.

The contractor listed on the building permit is Plentiful Inc. based in Littleton, Colorado. The developer behind the Spring Prairie complex that includes Cabela’s and other nearby businesses is Flower & Stone Ltd.

This will be the third Montana location for the Japanese chain restaurant, which already has restaurants in Missoula and Great Falls.

The restaurant distinguishes itself by specializing in teppenyaki, which the website identifies as a type of cooking where customers get to see the chef in action as the seating is formed around the kitchen, not dissimilar to other Asian fusion chains such as HuHot Mongolian Grill, which also has a location on the north end of Kalispell.

No menu has yet been released for the new Kalispell location, but the Missoula menu features an assortment of appetizers that will seem familiar, like chicken wings and spring rolls, as well as some that won’t, such as yakiniku or beef tattaki. Most of them are under $10.

The entrees all range between $10 and $20, and include sections that encompass barbecue, Thai noodles and Japanese noodles. There is also a full-page sushi menu and a fairly sizable beer, wine and sake list that includes many local craft beer options.

An opening date has not yet been announced.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.