Billings Community Member Highlight: Nick Steen of Walkers Neighborhood Provisions
As a real estate agent in Billings for the last 10 years and after living here for a large portion of my life, I’ve gotten the pleasure of meeting a LOT of people and hearing their stories.
I LOVE meeting new people and hearing their love for the Billings community and I found myself really wanting a way to bring some of those stories and introductions to YOU.
Whether you already live in Billings, are planning to relocate or decide to pass through one day, there’s just something special about knowing people who make up the community on a deeper level.
So of course, there’s no better way to do that than through the blog.
In the Billings Community Member Highlight series, you’ll meet various business owners who I personally know and work with and I believe these people play a massive part in making Billings so amazing.
In this edition, you’ll hear from Nick Steen, Executive Chef and General Manager, of one of my absolute favorite restaurants in town, Walkers.
If you’re in search of your next date night spot, look no further!
Walkers Grill in Billings, Montana
Nick Steen is the chef and owner of Walkers Grill in Downtown Billings. Walkers has been a prominent spot of the downtown community for 30 years and Nick has been a part of it for about 6 of those!
During that time, Nick says that he has watched the city embrace the food scene like never before, which has only continued to push Walkers to be better and better.
Walkers considers themselves to be a “Modern Montana” restaurant and are inspired by the bounty and abundance of ingredients from Montana and the greater rocky mountain region.
When you visit, you’ll be met with a full service bar to enjoy craft cocktails and a restaurant serving innovative food, as well as a specialty curated wine list.
When asked what inspired Nick to join the dining scene in Billings, he said:
“I bought the restaurant because I believe that Billings has an incredible dining culture and I love the support from everyone here.”
My favorite part about running this business in Billings is 100% the people.”
If you’ve read other Community Member Highlights or are familiar with the Billings community at all, you’ll notice that support from the people of the community is a HUGE theme and I personally believe that’s one of the things that makes living and working in Billings so special.
When asked how Walkers engages with their customers and continues to build strong relationships within the community, Nick said:
“I'm on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce and I’ve found more opportunities to help the city by being more involved. Beyond that, we aim to deliver over the top hospitality for our customers!”
When asked what sets Walkers apart from others in the same industry, Nick said:
“We are always changing! A lot of restaurants keep the same day in and out, while we see ourselves as trend setters, not followers. We adapt constantly to the ever changing market!”
This is something that I personally admire about Walkers and Nick’s leadership because as I like to say, “when everyone’s looking right, look left” – meaning when everyone’s doing one thing, do the opposite.
Having this mindset is truly one of the greatest things you can hold in business and I firmly believe that Walkers does this wonderfully!
Speaking of mindset, it’s something that you 100% have to have when challenges arise – and none of us are immune to them.
When asked what challenges Walkers has faced specifically and how they’ve worked to overcome them, Nick said:
“Just like everyone in the hospitality industry, staffing and rising costs of goods are always the hardest thing to overcome. But we have an “employee first” mentality, and we pride ourselves on taking care of those who work here!”
That’s another huge admiration I have, especially for those in the restaurant industry – you can tell when people take care of their people.
It’s so clear and evident when people love and value where they work and I can say from experience that the staff at Walkers take pride in their job and I just know that comes from the top down.
Being a Billings staple for 30 years, you can imagine the change and growth that Walkers has experienced during that time.
When asked about future plans or exciting developments, Nick said, “wait and see.” 👀
I for one am excited to see how Walkers continues to grow and expand to further serve our community!
Aside from doing business in Billings, Nick also lives life here, so of course I had to ask for a few personal insights.
As a chef, you can imagine that Nick’s favorite thing to do in the area is to find new places to eat and Billings definitely doesn’t run short of options.
(If you’re in need of a new favorite, check out the Ultimate Community Guide for a full list of restaurant recs!)
But of course his favorite place is Walkers and he recommends the Korean Beef Bowl!
Lastly, because I’m in deep with the various communities around Billings as a real estate agent, I was curious to know if Nick had a favorite community of his own (everyone usually does) and he said:
“Downtown will always have my heart – a vibrant and booming downtown is the sign of a strong city identity!”
Get Connected With Walkers Grill
If you’re looking for your next night out or a new restaurant to try, make sure Walkers is on your list – you won’t be disappointed!
We personally frequent Walkers very often and it’s a family favorite. Connect with Walkers on Instagram and if you want to check out the menu before visiting, click here!
