Cafe, mercantile opens in Noxon

From Sneakers to The Sawtooth, the building in the heart of Noxon has seen a lot of changes throughout the past 20 years. Now, it carries the name Noxon Mercantile & Café.

Chris and Amy Klaschik purchased the vacated building a few months ago, in February, and are hoping to make some changes to what Noxon has to offer for both locals and tourists.

"We will cater to guests from out of state, but are hoping to serve the community also," Amy stated. "We just want to make sure we have what the people want."

It all started when the Klaschiks' decided to sell their home and sign business in Vail, Colorado, and flew from Eagle County on May 1, 2018. "We knew we wanted to be in Montana, we just didn't know where," said Amy, a Detroit native.

They travelled and explored Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon and Idaho as they spent half a year looking for something to purchase and develop. This is when they found the Noxon General Store listing.

They thought on the prospective purchase for two weeks before deciding to make an offer. "We tried to buy that (Noxon General Store), but the deal didn't work out," said Amy, sharing that the owners pulled out of the sale. This is when the Klaschiks started looking harder at the option of purchasing the former Sawtooth building.

"This place, of all our travels, I finally feel like I am home," shared Amy, who has more than 20 years retail experience while working for Nordstrom's. "I want to be buried here, I'm comfortable in my own skin here."

So, what is in store for the Noxon Mercantile & Café? According to Chris, who says he has spent most of his life in the culinary and hospitality business, the store will provide fresh, unprocessed food options ranging from a sit-down menu to deli meats, cheeses and baked goods. In addition, there will be a hand-dipped ice cream station and the Klaschiks hope to infiltrate community pig roasts, bluegrass band performances and holiday and seasonal festivities.

The Klaschiks say they are here to serve the community and will open early during hunting season to provide services to hunters who can pick up prepackaged lunches for their day out in the woods. They will also extend their hours during tourist season if it "warrants it."

Café breakfast service is 8-11 a.m. and lunch from noon until 3:30. The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and both the store and café will be closed on Mondays.