Bob Marshall’s Biga Pizza has been a staple in Missoula since it opened its doors in 2006. Their priority has always been to serve up unique and well-balanced meals to our community. What most Missoulians wouldn’t know is that since 2020, Bob and General Manager, Michael LaPointe have been leading our community in employing and supporting newly resettled refugees. Michael said, “Bob and I have always strived to create an environment that provides high quality food at a reasonable cost with a livable wage for staff and a work space where people are treated with respect.”

 

Originally from New Hampshire, Michael has been working in restaurants for over twenty years. After receiving a theater degree in New York City, he made his way to Missoula where he met Bob Marshall, who offered him a position at Biga. “Everyone here has to start bussing tables, so at 32, I started doing that, which was tough, but as soon as I got one shift I held onto that Wednesday and traded it for a Saturday and eventually I got more and more work.” Michael has been co-running Biga Pizza for five years now alongside Bob.

 

Four years ago, during the COVID pandemic, Biga, like much of the food service industry, struggled to find staff willing to work. Growing up on the East Coast and living in New York City, Michael saw the value of living and working in diverse environments. So, he reached out to Soft Landing Missoula wanting to hire New Americans, and was quickly connected to the Economic Empowerment team at the IRC. Immigrating to the United States is a challenge for anyone, but Michael recognized that resettling in Missoula can be particularly difficult. With a small population and limited community resources, it can be challenging for refugee families to adjust to vastly different cultural norms. Michael tries to be more than just a boss. He said, “A lot of the time I feel like a social worker for my staff. I try to teach them how to navigate everyday systems; how to do taxes, advocate for themselves against their landlord, or how to take out a loan. Working with these folks, I try to look at life through their eyes and I see how absurd a lot of systems are in the USA.” Michael continues this work because he has seen the positive benefits of having new Americans as co-workers for his staff and how that has extended to the greater Missoula community.

“It’s just been a fantastic experience for us as business operators, but more importantly the relationships we have made with our new American staff have led to massive personal benefit.”

 

Michael knew that employing new Americans would be mutually beneficial, though it might come with challenges. Beyond adjusting to everyday life in America, immigrants and refugees must also adapt to an entirely new work culture. Throughout the years, new Americans employed at Biga have moved away from Missoula or had to stop working to support family and children at home. Sometimes, this can spark confusion from other staff. “Learning how to communicate why Biga wasn’t a fit for former refugee staff members was a unique experience.I tell people all the time just because a few new Americans haven’t worked out in the past has nothing to do with them being new Americans and over the years we have learned that restaurant work isn’t for everyone” said Michael. Michael is also grateful for the ongoing support from the Economic Empowerment team, who has provided interpretation services, education and guidance regarding cultural norms, or mediation during difficult professional situtions.

 

Michael and Bob have consistently gone above and beyond to build bridges and support new Americans as they continue to learn, grow, and settle into life in Montana. For Michael, employing refugees has been a valuable learning experience, and has opened the door to many opportunities for growth. Biga Pizza serves as an excellent example of how a local business can thrive while fostering inclusivity and diversity. Michael and Biga Pizza stand as a testament to the power of patience, compassion, and the pursuit of a common good, demonstrating that when we invest in people, everyone benefits.