Montana Coffee Traders has long been one of the most recognizable coffee brands in northwest Montana. The company started in nearby Whitefish in 1981 and built a loyal following through its house-roasted coffee.
For many years, its downtown Kalispell café was a popular stop for breakfast, lunch, espresso drinks and bags of locally roasted beans. Unfortunately, the downtown Kalispell location permanently closed in August 2025 due to rising operating costs and lack of profitability, according to company officials. Montana Coffee Traders still operates other locations in the Flathead Valley, including Whitefish and Columbia Falls.
The coffeehouse menu centers around espresso drinks, house-roasted coffee, teas and blended specialties.
Breakfast options included hearty dishes like the Big Sky breakfast, scrambles, omelets, breakfast wraps, quiche, oatmeal and granola. For lunch, the menu featured sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and vegetarian specialties, with favorites such as the Glacier Melt and Black Bean Hummus Quesadilla. Fresh pastries and baked goods rounded out the menu.
I enjoyed a small haul from this coffee shop: hot chocolate, quiche and a delicious everything seasoned biscuit.
I enjoyed everything, though my hot chocolate was more ~artisanal~ and not as sweet. No matter - it was still tasty, as was the flavorful quiche.
If you're in the area of Glacier National Park, it's the perfect fuel-up spot.
Grade: B
