About the Business
The Trough & The Olde Dairy has operated out of a converted dairy building on Clements Road in Missoula's Target Range neighborhood since 2014. The property has been a neighborhood fixture since the 1960s — first as King's Dairy, then Dale's Dairy for four decades, now as a restaurant and market under owners Carter and Susan Beck, who bought it in 2014 and opened The Trough restaurant the following year.
The Trough serves lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, with breakfast added on weekends. The menu runs burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pasta, steak, and seafood. A walk-up ice cream window serves Big Dipper year-round, and the covered patio handles four seasons of outdoor seating. The dining room seats 60 and is available for private events and catering.
The Olde Dairy market next door stocks 400-plus wine labels, a full Montana microbrew selection, fresh and organic produce, and local brands including KettleHouse, Kalispell Kreamery, Le Petit bread, and Montana Coffee Traders. The gas station, summer river tube rentals, and winter RV storage round out a property built around one idea: everything the neighborhood needs without a drive into town.
The Trough carries 4.4 stars across nearly 700 Google reviews. Regulars describe it as the center of the Target Range neighborhood — the place that hosts knitting groups, birthday parties, and weeknight dinners for people who have been coming since the soft opening in 2015, when the neighborhood showed up before there was even an ad.
Profile Researched July 2026
Services Offered
From King's Dairy to The Trough
The property began as King's Dairy in the 1960s, became Dale's Dairy from 1973 to 2009, briefly operated as Target Range Market, and reopened as The Olde Dairy in 2014. The Trough restaurant followed in 2015. The 15-foot cow installed during the Dale's Dairy era has remained through every transition and is still the neighborhood landmark at Clements Road and North Avenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did The Trough & The Olde Dairy open?+
The Olde Dairy market relaunched under Carter and Susan Beck's ownership in April 2014. The Trough restaurant opened in June 2015.
Where is The Trough & The Olde Dairy located?+
At 2106 Clements Rd in Missoula's Target Range neighborhood, at the corner of Clements and North Avenue — marked by the 15-foot cow out front.
What does The Trough serve?+
The restaurant offers burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pasta, steak, and seafood, with breakfast added on weekends. The Big Dipper ice cream window is on-site year-round.
What is The Olde Dairy market?+
A full neighborhood market with 400-plus wine labels, Montana microbrews, local produce, organic groceries, and local brands including KettleHouse, Kalispell Kreamery, and Montana Coffee Traders. Gas station on-site.
Does The Trough offer event space or catering?+
Yes. The dining room seats up to 60 and is available for private events. Catering is also available — contact the restaurant directly.
Who owns The Trough & The Olde Dairy?+
Carter and Susan Beck, who purchased the property in 2014. Carter Beck is a neurosurgeon at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.
What was The Olde Dairy before it became The Trough?+
The property began as King's Dairy in the 1960s, operated as Dale's Dairy from 1973 to 2009, and then briefly became Target Range Market. Carter and Susan Beck reopened the market as The Olde Dairy in 2014 and opened The Trough restaurant in 2015.
What is the history of the cow at The Olde Dairy?+
The 15-foot fiberglass cow was installed during the Dale's Dairy era. It survived each change in ownership and name and remains a Target Range landmark at the corner of Clements Road and North Avenue.
The Legend's Story
How The Trough Became Target Range's Living Room, Missoula
A neurosurgeon built the tables by hand. The neighborhood filled them before there was even an ad. The tables at The Trough on Clements Road in Missoula were built by a neurosurgeon. Carter Beck cut and assembled them hi...
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