
Montana Julius made its grand opening just a few weeks ago on August 18th ,2024. Owners – Daniel Emrich, Montana State Senator for District 11, and his wife, Ashley (30s) made it their goal to have a Julius place in town since they didn’t like what Great Falls had to offer. Daniel and Ashley are avid smoothie drinkers, and they want to share their beloved Julius with everyone.
They opened Montana Julius for additional income to help raise their 5 kids. In fact, their youngest, goes everywhere with them. He’s a picky eater and inspires their food menu. If their little one eats it, it must be good.
I did ask them about their name: Montana Julius. It is so similar to Orange Julius and is in the same location Orange Julius used to be inside the Holiday Village Mall. They clarified that they have no affiliation with Orange Julius and that a Julius is a type of drink. The name isn’t specific to any sort of brand. They use “Montana” Julius because everything from design to drinks and food items are all done in “Montana Style”. That means they put their own spin on everything.
Ashley primarily runs the store and has poured her heart into their blossoming business, in-fact she designed their logo. The stars next to their storefront name resemble Peter-Pan and Orion’s Belt.
She helps with scheduling and manages the young teens who work for them. Some of which, are their children. Ashley and Daniel teach their employees to make sure the customers are happy and that they hope and desire that they enjoy working there as well.
I asked Mr. Emrich, what is the best part of operating Montana Julius, he said, it’s fun! Most of all he shared his wisdom that every transaction is a spiritual one. People are parting with their own hard-earned money for something that they’ve created. That means a lot to them.
They hope that more businesses join them in welcoming people into our local mall. Meanwhile, they are serving up love with their all-natural Julius ingredients.