Jamie Barta fell in love with the history of the Star Bakery when he moved to Virginia City in 2021, after three years as the concessionaire responsible for the restaurant and two running the bakery, his contract was canceled on Jan. 5 and he has chosen not to sign the new contract, which required a payment of 15% of gross revenue, presented by the Montana Department of Commerce (DOC). 

“Running The Star has been a great pleasure,” said Barta in an interview with The Madisonian. “It is part of the community, has an amazing history, not only in the community, but in Montana as a whole. It is the oldest restaurant in Montana originally opened in Virginia City in 1864. It moved around Virginia City and then in the 1950s or 60s, it was moved to Nevada City to provide a food and beverage venue for the Charles Bovey operation. In that time, it has been run by quite a few different concessionaires.”

Barta’s experience with the Star Restaurant and Bakery transcended the past as he experienced the impact that the business has on the modern community. 

“Although the restaurant is only open for four or five months during the summer, it has had a great impact on the community even before I was involved,” he explains before launching into a story about his early days as the concessionaire.  

“I was laying in my dentist chair for a check up and when she found out I would be running the restaurant she shared that it was her very first job and what a great experience it was,” he said. “Then my hygienist chimed in and said that her son was working for me. It just ties the community feeling in that much more. Friends and family and locals provided great support for the restaurant.”

Barta also works for Madison County and did double shifts while he was the concessionaire for the Star Restaurant and Bakery. After consideration, he just couldn’t see how the new contract offered by the DOC could work. 

“The biggest reason I decided not to sign was the increased price of rent,” he explained. “The lease increased by seven or eight times and also the increase of cost of any repairs for the Heritage Commission’s equipment made it out of reach for what revenue was being taken in.”

“I've had a couple of conversations with April Armstrong, the current Heritage Commission director, and explained my costs and how it would just not work for me. I did say that I would be happy to help facilitate the next concessionaire that comes in having institutional knowledge about the restaurant, history, equipment and building.”

In December the DOC canceled all of the concessionaire contracts for the Montana Heritage Commission (MHC) and issued new contracts, eight of which contained 15% of gross revenue as the financial obligation for running the turn-key businesses.  Throughout the process they have pointed to their obligation to standardize the concessionaire contracts and recoup the losses from the embezzlement and mismanagement by former MHC executive director Elijah Allen. 

The DOC has listed the Star Restaurant and Bakery as available concessionaire opportunities on their website. According to a conversation with the DOC, there has already been some interest in the property. 

Barta’s 20+ years of hospitality experience was only a part of what he brought to the table as the concessionaire at the Star Restaurant and Bakery. 

“I am also involved with the local FFA, the Women's Resource Center, the Virginia City Rural Fire Department, and the Elks Lodge,” explained Barta who also says he fell in love with Virginia City during a Winter spent as the caretaker of his brother-in-law’s house. “I also serve on the county tax appeal board, the library board, the Virginia City Rural 

Fire Department board, and the Friends of the Library board.”

Of the eight properties that were offered 15% gross revenue contracts by the DOC, two have elected not to sign the new contract and two have filed for an emergency injunction and temporary restraining order to stop the DOC from moving forward with the cancellation of their contracts.  At press time it is unknown whether the other four concessionaires will sign the new contracts. The situation has Barta concerned for the future of his community. 

“I think there's a lot of concern with the changes that are happening, how it will affect local privately owned businesses as well as the community as a whole,” he said. 

“In doing research I found that there is an economic impact to the area of over $70 million, over a half 1 million people visit the area during the summer, and over 1200 jobs are created each season,” he stated. 

Virginia City mayor Justin Gatewood has stated that the eight establishments being offered the 15% gross revenue contracts by the DOC account for roughly 40% of the resort tax revenue the city receives each year and having them closed for even one season could do significant harm to the city’s ability to function. Even as he steps out of his role running the Star, Barta knows that getting a new concessionaire that can succeed in that space is important to the community and the DOC. 

“It’s important that the Heritage Commission and the Town of Virginia City work together and fill any empty spots to make sure that this continues to be a tourist destination that people still want to visit and is affordable,” he stated. 

“I hope that future concessionaires can carry on the history and traditions, and maybe even create new ones as well. I hope that the state and the Montana Heritage Commission are able to maintain the history as well,” he concluded.