BILLINGS — A longtime family dream is now a reality in downtown Billings, where Pete's Meats is bringing fresh-cut meat and another food-shopping option to a neighborhood seeing continued residential growth.
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Located at 2917 Second Ave. N., the new butcher shop is the culmination of years of planning for Pete Lee, who spent more than 20 years working as a retail meat cutter at various shops in Billings before deciding to open his own business.
Lee said the idea took shape when he began working in a smaller butcher shop and experienced the closer relationships between customers and the people preparing their food.
He hopes to bring back the neighborhood butcher shop, a business model he remembers as once being common in communities.
"Full-service butcher shop, all fresh cut, everyday, kind of a neighborhood vibe is what we're going for," Lee said. "I just like the feel of how much closer you are with your customers."
For Lee, it's about creating a place where customers can stop in, get to know the people behind the counter, and find the cuts they're looking for.
And he's building that business alongside his family. His wife, Lindsay, and their two daughters, Poppy and Gussie, are helping run the shop. Lindsay balances a full-time job while pitching in at the business, and the daughters help with customer service and daily operations.
"It's a learning experience for sure. Getting used to being around each other 24/7," Lindsay said. “I come from a medical background, so I don't know anything about meat. This is all new to me."
For 23-year-old Gussie Lee, opening the shop with her father was something she had imagined long before it became reality.
During her senior year of high school, an English teacher asked students to write letters to their future selves. In hers, Gussie wrote that she hoped she and her dad would have opened a butcher shop together by the time she read it again.
When she received the letter this year, the family was finally preparing to open Pete's Meats.
"I'd hope by now, me and my dad have opened a butcher shop together," Gussie said, recalling what she wrote. "It was such a bittersweet moment that we were finally here opening. It's definitely a dream come true for me and my dad."
The path to opening Pete's Meats came with several setbacks.
The family gained an early boost by winning the Downtown Billings Business Association's 2024 Battle of the Plans in the new business category. The competition provided funding and connected them with resources to help move the project forward.
The next year, a federal government shutdown delayed the family's financing, putting their plans on hold for several months. Lee said they had already received approval and were close to securing the money when the shutdown began.
"We had already been approved. It was two weeks before the shutdown happened," Lee said. "The shutdown happened, and so we had to wait."
"Just sitting," said Lindsay. "Quite a setback."
The delay lasted roughly five to six months, according to Lee. During that time, the family had not yet signed a lease, but the building's owner worked with them and allowed them to hold onto the space. The financing finally came through in March, allowing the family to move forward.
Lee took on much of the renovation himself, transforming a former hair salon into a full-service butcher shop. The work required new plumbing, electrical improvements, a walk-in cooler, display cases, and other updates to accommodate the business.
After months of work, Pete's Meats opened Nov. 2.
“I've met so many amazing people, especially downtown," said Gussie. "I did not realize that downtown Billings has, like, its own community almost."
The shop's opening comes as downtown Billings continues to grow, with more people making the area their home.
Downtown Billings Development Director Mehmet Casey told MTN the central business district and surrounding adjacent properties include 1,142 residential units, an increase of 139 since 2020.
But as more residents move into the area, everyday grocery options remain limited.
According to Casey, Lil' Market Groceries closed in 2024, leaving another gap in the downtown food retail landscape. Before that, Good Earth Market operated as a cooperative grocery store at 3024 Second Ave. N. before dissolving around 2017.
Frae Collective at 116 N. 29th St. also offers some food and grocery products in the area.
Pete's Meats adds another option for residents looking to shop closer to home, particularly those who want to pick up fresh meat without driving to a larger grocery store.
“With all the new apartments and buildings going up down here, we have had a lot of foot traffic," said Lee. “The feedback I got was that people were excited because they didn't have to drive."
And for anyone worried about parking, Lee has a solution of his own.
"If you need some pocket change for the meter, come in, I'll give it to you. I got it. No problem," he said jokingly.
The shop currently offers fresh beef, pork, chicken, and house-made sausages and bratwursts. Lee also prepares custom cuts and said he prioritizes cutting meat fresh each day rather than preparing large quantities in advance. He hopes to expand the selection of locally sourced meat as the business grows.
While Lee wants to make fresh meat more accessible to downtown residents, the cost of beef remains a challenge for both businesses and consumers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts beef and veal prices will increase 8.7% in 2026, adding to the pressure consumers have already felt at grocery stores.
Lee said he's seen a significant change throughout his more than two decades in the meat industry.
"When I first started, we would, at the grocery store, put ground beef on sale for 99 cents," he said. "It's almost eight, nine, 10 bucks a pound now."
Lee said he works to keep prices competitive and can offer customers a break when they purchase larger quantities, such as 10 pounds of ground beef.
Despite the rising costs and the obstacles that delayed the opening, Lee said he's grateful the family stuck with the idea.
For Lee, it's the opportunity to build the kind of business he envisioned years ago. After years of waiting, he said he's glad he kept going.
"I'm living the dream, really. There have been some hurdles along the way and several times I just wanted to quit and throw in the towel," said Lee. "If it's really what I love, it'll show in the work and with my customers."
