Open Range Bozeman Has Closed. Meson Frailes Is Next

Summary: Open Range, the downtown Bozeman steakhouse Gavin and Joey DeGraw bought from founder Jay Bentley in 2023, has closed without a public announcement. A new Mexican restaurant, Meson Frailes, is set to take over the 241 E. Main Street space next.

Thirteen years on Main Street, and then nothing. Open Range went dark with no statement to its regulars and no notice taped to the door, and if you've walked past those empty windows downtown, you've probably wondered the same thing everyone else has: what happened to Open Range?

Why Did Open Range Bozeman Close?

Open Range closed without any official explanation from its owners, and Bozeman has been left to piece it together on its own. Photos shared online around three months ago showed a notice in the window citing a renovation project, though that notice has since come down and no follow-up has surfaced. For now, the closure remains unexplained beyond what locals have pieced together.

Who Owned Open Range Before It Closed?

Jay Bentley opened Open Range in 2013, building it into one of downtown Bozeman's go-to steakhouses over the next decade. Then in 2023, singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw and his brother Joey bought the restaurant from Bentley, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. The DeGraws already ran restaurants in New York City and Nashville, including Nashville Underground, a multi-level restaurant and live music venue on Broadway, and they brought some of that experience to Montana. Under their ownership, Open Range expanded to seven days a week with a 3 to 5 p.m. happy hour, and Joey told the Chronicle he hoped to eventually put the building's roughly 6,400-square-foot basement to use, the way the brothers had in Nashville.

What’s Moving Into the Old Open Range Restaurant?

A new Mexican restaurant, Meson Frailes, has already put up signage at 241 E. Main Street, and it's expected to open in the space Open Range leaves behind. 

Details on Meson Frailes are still thin, and no opening date has been announced, but we will be sure to keep you posted.

Want more local info?

📬 Subscribe to our newsletter
👉Follow us on Instagram