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'Tremendous amount of people': Owner of Big Timber Bakery stays open to feed stranded motorists

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Posted at 9:49 PM, Jan 31, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-01 11:14:24-05

BILLINGS- The shutdown of Interstate 90 on Tuesday meant the town of Big Timber had to come together to help stranded motorists.

The Big Timber Bakery, which is usually open very early in the morning, opened back up Tuesday night to help feed families and travelers who became stranded.

“In the almost 10 years that we have been here, we’ve never seen the interstate being closed down from going eastbound and going westbound,” said owner Teb Seifu.

He described the town as a population that tripled in size when officials closed it.

The bakery served oven-fired pizza and was busy all night helping to make food deliveries to the nearby hotels and motor inns that were also busy accommodation travelers.

“There are lines of 18 wheelers, lined up at the Town Pump, the local gas stations,” he said.

He also says the KOA campground in town opened to act as a place for cars and trailers to go.

“There’s just a tremendous amount of people here,” he said.

Seifu says he was off work hours once the baker had closed for the day, but when the traffic problems started, he decided to go back to work and help with the influx of travelers.

He says all the visitors to the town have been very grateful and happy to see the bakery open for business.