Heritage Commission, Commerce announce Virginia City concessionaires

The Montana Heritage Commission and state Department of Commerce announced this week that contracts for Virginia City and Nevada City concessionaires have been finalized.

Those concessionaires include 10 from the 2025 season and five new ones, which follow a protracted dispute between some businesses and the state.

Following financial instability after money was stolen from the Heritage Commission, the state revisited the contracts to try to make up a budget shortfall and found some contracts that were not consistent with others. The state moved to redo the agreements, which some businesses and politicians took issue with, essentially saying the amount of rent the businesses paid was not fair.

Some were worried the contract changes would mean the undoing of the popular historic site.

Justin Gatewood, Virginia City’s mayor, said in a Jan. 20 letter the changes left them “questioning” their future. 

The dispute reached Madison County District Court, although a judge decided it was not the correct venue for a contract dispute. Additionally, plans to award 99-year property leases were put on hold, according to NBC Montana, with further discussion on that matter to be taken up this summer. At least some of those leases were for one year.

“After actively working to fill leases, the Montana Department of Commerce and the Montana Heritage Commission are excited to see retail shops, restaurants and galleries as well as entertainment and hospitality venues preparing to welcome customers this summer,” Commerce Deputy Director Mandy Rambo said in a press release. “These historic cities have been beloved destinations for generations of Montanans and out-of-state visitors, and Commerce is dedicated to supporting their long-term stability.”

The concessionaires are:

• Bale of Hay Saloon
• Brewery Follies
• Calamity Janes
• Destination Virginia City, MT (Fairweather Inn/Annex and Nevada CityCabins)
• Montana Picture Gallery
• Ruby Chang’s
• Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery
• Virginia City Coffee Depot
• Virginia City Trading Company
• Wild West LLC (Bonanza Inn, Harding Home, Meagher Cabin and Daems and Corbett House)
• Bob’s Place
• The Shop at the City Bakery
• Star Restaurant and Bakery
• Virginia City Opera House
• Wells Fargo Bar & Grill

Bob’s Place, The Shop at the CIty Bakery, Star Restaurant and Bakery, Virginia City Opera House, and Wells Fargo Bar & Grill are all new concessionaires. Bob’s Place was previously run by Kirk Belding, while a restaurant owned by Jason Lange was called the Wells Fargo Steakhouse & Eatery. Lange and Belding filed motions in court over the contracts and their attorney did not immediately respond to a request asking if they were operating businesses in Virginia City.

In a February email, the Department of Commerce said Lange’s contract ended on Dec. 29, 2025, and he “failed to collect his belongings” from the bar. The state gave him until Jan. 28, 2026, to do so, but Lange did not. 

“Sometime after Mr. Lange’s contract terminated on Dec. 29, 2025, Commerce and MHC staff entered the Wells Fargo, and discovered several serious issues that MHC staff documented through photographs,” the email said. “These issues required Commerce/MHC to hire sanitation remediation specialists to clean the property to ensure health code standards are met and the building is ready for a new concessionaire this summer season. Any equipment removed as part of the cleaning and remediation process was either replaced after being cleaned or has been disposed of if it was unable to be remediated.”

The agency added in the email that items of value were returned to his lawyer, who could not be reached on Friday for a comment about the state of the building.

Bob’s Place and the Wells Fargo Bar & Grill will now be operated by SharBert Enterprises, a release from Commerce said, going on to add it is a Montana-based company with 30 years of retail, hospitality and restaurant experience.