BILLINGS — After more than 50 years of serving the Billings community, Poly Food Basket will close its doors for good next month, marking the end of an era for the beloved neighborhood grocery store.
The family-owned business has been a cornerstone of the community, connecting generations of families and creating lasting memories beyond just providing groceries and fresh meat.
See inside Poly Food Basket:
"My boys, my wife, myself are so thankful to the Billings community," said Scott D'Ambrosia, who has owned the store for the past 17 years.
D'Ambrosia bought the store after years of working in the grocery business. He is the second-longest owner of the store.
"The stories that you hear of or the pictures you see of the neighborhood, those are the things that are the history of Poly Food Basket. It's not me, it's not Terra, it's not the DuBeaus (two previous owners) it's not the other people. It's the people that sit outside and ride their bike over, come inside, get a water, sit out front, drink their water, get back on their bike, and finish the bike ride. That's the history of Poly Food Basket," D'Ambrosia said.
D'Ambrosia also mentioned the dog water bowl that sat outside in the summer, with many people stopping out front during their walks. The dogs might have been thirsty, or might have known an employee was waiting inside to give them a treat.
"Those things are hard to replace, and there's a sadness in seeing those things going away," D'Ambrosia said.
The store has truly been a family affair since day one, with all of D'Ambrosia's four sons working there, or helping out, at various points in their lives. His youngest son Sam and oldest son Sage work there full-time.
"It's been a part of my life for more than half my life," Sage D'Ambrosia said. "It is part of our family, a huge part of it."
Sam remembers going to the store with his dad before he was dropped off at preschool.
"Before preschool, coming here and grinding burger. It's the best memory I've ever had," Sam said.
The D'Ambrosia family has always prioritized serving their community above all else.
"The thing that we think about the most, is our community and how we can help them," Sage said.
What made Poly Food Basket special wasn't just the products on the shelves, but the safe, welcoming environment it provided for families.
"There's not a lot of places that, like, kids can just come to a grocery store and buy candy, and their parents don't have to be worried about that," Sage said.
The store became a gathering place where generations of families shopped together, creating memories that will outlast the business itself.
"It's not things going out the front door, but it's the history of those boys as well. And you know the people are part of it, is the history," Scott said.
The D'Ambrosia family spent the past year determining their options, seeing if they could keep the store open.
"This decision hasn't come easily," Scott said. "There's a sorrow that Stacey (Scott's wife) and I had. That was probably the hardest thing in making the decision to close."
Competition from big box stores made it increasingly difficult to maintain their business model.
"When you're down, you know, your year-to-year in sales because of that, you can't keep doing what you're doing. And it's sad, but it's evolution," he said. "The world is evolving. People's habits are evolving. The family sitting down for a dinner every night is changing."
Despite the sadness surrounding the closure, Scott remains optimistic about the future of the location.
"I'm confident that this location will be good for someone," Scott said.
As they prepare to close, the D'Ambrosia family leaves with their heads held high, grateful for the relationships they've built and the community they've served. They hope their story serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting local businesses.
"I know everybody thinks local, but they need a shop local too," Sage said.
Scott agrees, emphasizing the value of community support.
"I hope people understand how important it is for you to support your neighbor," Scott said.
There is no official closing date, but the family expects it to be sometime in February.
Disclosure: The author of this article is related to the D'Ambrosias by marriage and has been previously employed by the family.
