The Destination

Burgers, Shakes, Fries!
Come on in and have an old fashioned ice cream soda at the soda fountain with a hot and juicy hamburger. 

Treat yourself to a sundae and take home a variety of the 800 kinds of candy we offer.

From a classic Hot Fudge Sundae to a Roy Rogers to a Milkshake, Norm's Soda Fountain will satisfy your sweet tooth one way or another. Featuring classics such as Dusty Roads and newer creations like the Vienna Float, the possibilities are endless when creating your perfect ice cream masterpiece.

Local Burger

The local burger is our standard.  A 1/4 # of local hometown beef grilled to perfection. Delivered daily by locally owned Lower Valley Meats.

Buffalo Burger

Our 1/3 # signature bison burger is a local favorite and a must try for anyone wishing to experience true Montana experience.

Pork Chop

Our rendition and tribute to the famous Pork Chop John's, the pork chop sandwich does not disappoint.

Featuring over 800 types of candy, Norm's Soda Fountain has something for everyone.

With a fresh selection of fudge, made in house, you won't be able to resist trying a piece or two on your way out.

The Opera House

Norm’s News resides in John McIntosh’s Opera House Square, built in 1896. He and a partner added the buildings to the north in 1903. The ground floor served as the area’s first hardware store and the upper floor served Flathead Valley residents as an opera house (with seating capacity of 1,000) and wore many hats. From the 1890s through the 1930s, this space wore many hats, acting as a lodge meeting hall, ballroom, basketball court, boxing arena, theater, roller skating rink, high school graduation auditorium, and other events of the like!

One of the first shows to play in the McIntosh’s Opera House was “Little Lord Fauntleroy," and later a showing of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” drew one of the largest audiences in the building’s history, entertaining over 1,130 people. Admission ranged from 50¢ to $1.00! Eugene Debs, labor leader and Socialist candidate for president, also spoke at the Opera House in 1902.

Sadly the Opera House's glory days were cut short on June 29, 1935 when a dancer tossed a cigarette across the stage after an early-morning break from rehearsal. A fire quickly broke out and flammable gasses sparked an explosion. While the majority of the opera house and other buildings were saved thanks to a hotel clerk next-door, a quick response from the fire department, and some well-timed rain,  the heart of the opera house - the stage - could not be saved. McIntosh never rebuilt the stage, thus leading to the end of its time serving the residents of the Flathead Valley as an entertainment venue.

Today, the first floor of the building is home to both Norm's Soda Fountain and Western Outdoor, Montana’s largest western retailer with over 1,000 hats and 2,000 pairs of boots! While the auditorium space upstairs remains empty, the sleeping rooms have since been renovated into five classic and stylish loft apartments.

The Soda Fountain

Many customers ask about our beautiful "Los Angeles" style back bar. The bar came in 20' or 24' foot lengths, and either quarter-carved birch or golden oak options. The ladies on the back bar were carved in 1880 out of Mediterranean Cypress in Italy. Made of oak and built by the "Brunswick Corp.", our back bar was originally sold for $369 in 1900.

In 1930, the bar came to Kalispell from Chicago for the price of $3,000 and found it's home in Mr. Tucker's Pool Hall. It has been in it's current location since 1938, when Norm Schappaeker purchased the pool hall. Schappaeker sold Norm's to Bill & Pat Shiells in 1967, and the Pirrie family (current owners) purchased Norm's in 1989.

We take pride in being a unique part of the Flathead Valley today, and hope you enjoy your Norm's experience!