BOZEMAN, MT — There has been more than a question mark or two when it came to the question -- will Hobby Lobby actually open in Bozeman?
On the morning of Wednesday, June 17, it did, putting a two-year mystery to rest.
One thing is for sure: the Hobby Lobby fans this morning did not let rain stop them.
But some were still scratching their heads, wondering what took so long?
“I was anxious to get to the store,” says Florence Curtis, who has been watching the Hobby Lobby storyline from Bozeman and stood in a line of about two dozen people Wednesday morning. “We’ve been waiting for quite a while for it to open.”
It’s a moment Hobby Lobby shoppers like Curtis say they’ve been waiting for since September 2018.
That’s when the Oklahoma-based company first announced it would be moving into Bozeman — in May 2019.
Except that never happened.
“For a while, we were wondering about it but now we are very happy to be here,” Curtis says.
Then another announcement, this time in March 2020, aiming for May again.
But the pandemic had other plans.
That’s when job postings started to appear online.
According to a Hobby Lobby news release, the store aimed to hire between 35 and 50 people with full-time employees getting $15.70 an hour and part-time employees earning $10.45 an hour, with some co-manager positions still listed.
Despite the wait, Florence says it’s just good news that it’s here.
“Just so much to choose from in the store,” Curtis says. “There’s such a variety of items. It’s great. It’s really great.”
Some were wearing masks when they got here but they are not required.
However, the store is actively practicing social distancing, with customers allowed in capacity waves, where customers wait until others leave before they can go inside.
The store will be open from 9 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday.
