Originally aired on YPR’s Flavors Under the Big Sky
Restauranteur Albert McDonald, owner of Backcountry Burger Bar and Pizza Campania in Bozeman and the Mint in Belgrade was recognized as a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Best Restauranteur this year. The nominations go to “A restauranteur who uses their establishment(s) as a vehicle for building community, demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship, integrity in restaurant operations, and is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture, while contributing positively to their broader community.”
Over the years, he has worked at different establishments and partnered in many eateries under the Big Sky. He said of success in the business, “For restaurants, you have to have a really good plan or money, and good luck, or you’ve got to be willing to take some risks.” “I’m looking for something where the opportunity isn’t obvious, and the opportunity is if you take something and you make it something of it, that in the long term, you will make money. I don’t look at restaurants as a quick thing in terms of creating wealth or security.”…