HELENA — The Helena Slim Chickens has closed permanently as of Sept. 24, 2025. There is no word on what officially led to the location's closure.
On Wednesday, workers removed signage and cleared out parts of the building.
A sign on a window said, “After careful consideration we are sad to announce that this restaurant is now permanently closed. We are deeply grateful for your loyalty and support over the years. It has been a pleasure serving the Helena community. We will always cherish the memories made here.”
Slim Chickens in Helena, the only Montana location, opened in December 2020 on Prospect Ave. The restaurant is a franchise location operated by Preferred Restaurant Group, which had also operated the Taco John’s in Helena in the past. The current Helena Taco John's location is listed as being franchise operated by Pentex Restaurant Group.
MTN reached out to Preferred Restaurant Group, which was the franchise operator of the Helena Slim Chickens, seeking more insight on the closing. Director of Operations Martin Smith said that he was not permitted to issue any comments to the media regarding this situation under the direction of Slim Chickens’ corporate. Smith was unable to even acknowledge that Preferred Restaurant Group was the franchise operator in Helena under the direction of Slim Chickens corporate.
For those impacted, Montana Works through the Department of Labor and Industry has resources that can help people file for unemployment and seek out a new job.
Editor's note: The original article said the Helena Taco John's location was under the operation of Preferred Restaurant Group. However, by 2023, the Helena location was under the operation of Pentex Restaurant Group.
