by Maloree Murphy | photos by Arianna Skoog and courtesy of Mama Joan's

When the bright pink Mama Joan’s food truck pulls into a Billings lot, people know exactly what they’re waiting for: fresh fry bread made with care, tradition, and heart. The line usually starts before the window even opens. At the center of it all is Linda, who named the business after her late mother, Joan. What began as her family’s everyday meal has evolved into a local treasure, not only feeding hungry customers but also fostering a deeper sense of connection.

FRY BREAD: A DISH WITH A STORY

Fry bread, at first glance, may seem simple. Flour, water, and oil are the basic ingredients. But as Linda explains, the heart of fry bread lies in its texture: crisp edges with a soft, pillowy center. For her, the magic is not in a written recipe but in memory and tradition. She recalls watching her mother, Joan, measure ingredients in the palm of her hand without cups or spoons. That kind of cooking, passed from one generation to the next, carries a weight that can’t be written down. Today, Mama Joan’s serves fry bread in both savory and sweet forms. The savory menu includes traditional tacos with seasoned beef, tender, sweet pork, and a vegetarian option. For dessert, customers can choose honey cinnamon bites or wojapi, a berry sauce made from a blend of four fruits. Wojapi traces back to the Sioux tradition of gathering chokecherries and simmering them into a rich preserve. Though Linda now makes it with modern ingredients, the heart of the recipe remains unchanged.

HONORING A MOTHER’S LEGACY

The name Mama Joan’s is more than branding. It’s a living tribute. Joan, Linda’s mother, grew up in South Dakota, where she built a family, worked in the fields, and created traditions around the food she prepared for her children. Fry bread wasn’t a special-occasion dish. It was everyday life. For Linda, spreading peanut butter on a piece of fresh fry bread after school was as normal as reaching for a slice of packaged bread might be for others.

When people step up to the food truck window and ask, “Are you Mama Joan?” Linda pauses. She feels the bittersweet ache of missing her mother but also the deep pride of honoring her. “I wanted to make sure people remembered she existed,” Linda said. “That this recipe, this tradition, comes from her.”

A GENERATIONAL EFFORT

What makes Mama Joan’s even more special is the generational thread running through it. Linda runs the truck alongside her daughters. They handle much of the social media and marketing, while Linda ensures every piece of fry bread tastes delicious and consistent. Together, they are passing down not just recipes but cultural identity, pride, and resilience.

As Linda looks at her daughters and grandchildren, she hopes they will never forget where they came from. “I want them to know their roots,” she said. “I want them to remember, to be proud, and to carry these traditions forward.”

For events that include alcohol, Bee Bar Billings operates in accordance with Montana law. “We can’t purchase or transport alcohol, but clients can provide it, and we handle the mixing and serving,” Carly explained. “We even give them a shopping list based on guest count. It’s super collaborative.” While the sisters are proud of their aesthetic and product, what matters most is how people feel when they interact with Bee Bar Billings. “We’ve had such great feedback,” said Casey. “People tell us our drinks made their event feel more elevated and fun. That means everything to us.”

Pricing for Bee Bar Billings varies depending on the event. Typical drink prices range from $5.50 for a kids’ beverage to around $8 for one of their buzz- worthy energy drinks. Private events are based on a minimum sales threshold.

Whether it’s lemonade with edible glitter or a full-service cocktail menu at a mountaintop wedding, Casey and Carly are proving that a little extra effort and a lot of heart can turn a simple drink into something unforgettable.

“In Native culture, when someone says ‘this reminds me of home,’ it means more than a place,” Linda shared. “Home is a feeling. It’s a memory. And when people tell me our fry bread reminds them of home, that’s what makes all of this worth it.” - LINDA

COMMUNITY AT THE WINDOW

In just two years, Mama Joan’s has built a following in Billings that goes far beyond food. Customers don’t just stop by for a taco or dessert; they come back week after week, becoming familiar faces and friends. Linda now greets many by name. “It’s the returning customers who mean the most,” she reflected. “They aren’t just supporting us once. They’re invested in what we do and why we do it.”

The food truck tracker on Facebook, event appearances across town, and word of mouth have spread the business far and wide. Even when a post about selling their truck stirred concern online, the community rallied in support, reminding Linda how deeply people care about Mama Joan’s. (They were only trying to buy a bigger truck.)

That support goes both ways. At the end of a long day, Linda often drives the truck to our local skate park downtown, handing out leftover fry bread and tacos. “My mom always said if you had a dollar and someone asked for it, you gave it to them,” she said. That spirit of generosity continues in every aspect of her work.

LOOKING AHEAD

Linda admits she doesn’t always see herself as a “Native woman in business.” For her, the food truck is simply an extension of what she grew up with. Yet, the impact is powerful. Each piece of fry bread served is both a meal and a story. Each conversation at the window is a chance to share history.

As Mama Joan’s grows, so does the vision. A larger food truck is on the horizon, along with dreams of bottling and selling their homemade wojapi. Linda imagines a small, year-round space, like a drive-through hut, where the community can continue to come for fry bread even during Montana winters. For now, she focuses on each day where she preps fifty pounds of flour in the morning and serves at community events.

A MESSAGE FOR HERITAGE MONTH

With Mama Joan’s story featured during National Native American Heritage Month, Linda hopes readers take away something deeper than a craving for fry bread. She wants them to understand the cultural significance behind the food, the resilience it represents, and the pride that comes from sharing it.

“I don’t want people to see stereotypes,” she said. “I want them to experience kindness, empathy, and open minds. I want them to know fry bread isn’t just food. It’s a part of who we are.”

As November comes, and Billings gathers around tables for comfort food and community, Mama Joan’s offers more than nourishment. It provides a reminder that heritage lives on when stories are shared, when recipes are passed down, and when love is served in every bite.

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Originally printed in the November 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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