The Dillon Cinema Deserved Better Than a Taco Bell

Wed, 06 May 2026 09:00:00 -0600

Big Sky Cinema in Dillon is closing after decades and the building is being sold to become a Taco Bell. I don’t live in Dillon, but this still feels personal. When a town loses its movie theater to a fast food chain, something has been decided for that town without its permission.

I’m not against Taco Bell. I’ve eaten there. But there are already places to get a burrito in Dillon. There was only one place to see a movie. Now there will be zero places to see a movie and two places to get a burrito. The math does not favor culture.

Dillon Cinema Closes, Sold to Taco Bell; Town Loses One of Its Remaining Reasons to Stay Up Past Eight

Tue, 05 May 2026 07:30:00 -0600

Big Sky Cinema in Dillon has permanently closed after decades of operation, with the property sold to a Missoula-based Taco Bell franchisee. The transaction replaces one of Beaverhead County’s last remaining evening entertainment options with a restaurant that closes at midnight, which in Dillon terms is practically a nightclub.

“It’s the end of an era,” said longtime patron Gary Jessup, 71. “We used to take the kids there on Fridays. Then we took the grandkids. Now there’s nowhere to take anybody, unless they want a Crunchwrap.”

Culture on The Bozeman Daily Bee

The Dillon Cinema Deserved Better Than a Taco Bell

Dillon Cinema Closes, Sold to Taco Bell; Town Loses One of Its Remaining Reasons to Stay Up Past Eight