At 7 a.m. on Oct. 1, a few people sat at Wild Joe's Coffee Spot with mugs of coffee, most of them working quietly on laptops. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle described that scene a few days after the shop said it would close. Wild Joe's has been at 18 W. Main St. for 25 years, and its last day is planned for Saturday, Dec. 5.
Dec. 5 is also the date of the 46th Annual Christmas Stroll. Wild Joe's has asked customers to join a "last hurrah" in the space during the Stroll. So the downtown calendar between now and then is also the shop's countdown. Every event on Main Street over the next few weeks happens a block or two from a coffeehouse with only weeks left in its space.
The Room on Main Street
People will feel this closure because of the room itself. The Downtown Bozeman Partnership's directory lists Wild Joe's in a century-old space with pressed-tin ceilings and weathered maple floors. It holds 100 people, which makes it one of the bigger places downtown where you can sit for a while. The same listing mentions Slayer espresso machines, Montana's Eco Star Award for sustainable business practices, and food from other local businesses: Red Bird Coffee Roasters, Wilcoxon's ice cream, Bagel Works and New Day Bakery. The shop also makes its own sandwiches and breakfast burritos. The shop's website says it hosts monthly art installations, events and community displays.
Co-owner and manager Erica Brubaker announced the closure on Instagram on Sept. 28. She told the Chronicle she was not offered a chance to renew the lease. By Oct. 2 the post had more than 250 comments, and the Chronicle reported that nearly all of them expressed sadness or frustration. One longtime patron brought up Leaf & Bean, another Main Street coffeehouse, which left in 2015. Ellie Staley, executive director of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership, told the Chronicle that the shop has a "really loyal following."
Brubaker's note on the Wild Joe's website is addressed to the people who gather there:
"My heart is broken to think of the community of this space that will be lost, this amazing group of baristas, students, professionals, families, and retirees, who gather daily to share a space with each other."
The website also asks two things of customers. People can email memories of the shop to [email protected] for a memory window going up in December. Anyone interested in carrying on the Wild Joe's name at a new location can contact the same address.
The Weeks Before the Last Hurrah
Brubaker's farewell in the space happens on one evening. Between now and then, downtown's holiday calendar is busy. Most of these events are organized by the Downtown Bozeman Association, which Wild Joe's belongs to as one of more than 400 members.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Bozeman Winter Farmers' Market | Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black Ave. | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Ladies' Night | Downtown Bozeman | 5 to 8 p.m., plus after-hours dinner and cocktails |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Bozeman Winter Farmers' Market | Gallatin County Fairgrounds | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Fri. and Sat., Nov. 27 and 28 | Indigenous Marketplace Bozeman | Emerson Center Ballroom, 111 S. Grand Ave. | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday | Downtown Bozeman | All day |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Holiday Noir | Crawford Theater at the Emerson | Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Winter Farmers' Market, then the 46th Annual Christmas Stroll | Fairgrounds, then Historic Downtown | 9 a.m. to noon; 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
Ladies' Night falls on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Participating downtown retailers, restaurants and bars offer holiday shopping, dinner and drink specials. It's free, open to everyone and happens snow or shine. The Downtown Bozeman Association says it will post the list of participating businesses and deals ahead of the night.
The weekend after Thanksgiving has two draws. The Indigenous Marketplace Bozeman is a free public market at the Emerson with more than 20 Indigenous artists. It runs Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, Small Business Saturday runs all day downtown, with more than 100 small businesses expected to take part. From the Emerson, Main Street is a short walk north on Grand, so you can do both in one afternoon.
Holiday Noir plays the Emerson's Crawford Theater the night before the Stroll.
For the farmers' market, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds listing shows the November and December dates in the table. The market usually sets up in Exhibit Building 4, but it moves to Building 1 on Nov. 21 and to Building 3 on Dec. 5. The market's own site says it runs "almost every Saturday" through the end of May, so check there before you head out on a Saturday that isn't in the table.
How Dec. 5 Plays Out
The Downtown Bozeman Association's sponsorship page calls the Stroll one of downtown's most beloved traditions and one of the busiest nights of the year, drawing thousands of locals and visitors. This year, a 25-year-old business is saying goodbye in the middle of it. Here's the day in order:
- Morning at the fairgrounds. The Winter Farmers' Market runs 9 a.m. to noon at 901 N. Black Ave., in Exhibit Building 3 for this date.
- Stroll from 4:30 p.m. The 46th Annual Christmas Stroll starts in Historic Downtown. It includes Santa photos, the lighting ceremony for the downtown decorations, voting in the Gingerbread House Contest display, horse-drawn wagon rides, Christmas carols, winter activities hosted by local nonprofits and food vendors.
- Wild Joe's last hurrah. The shop's farewell happens in the 18 W. Main space during the Stroll, with the memory window planned for December.
- 7:30 p.m. The Stroll ends.
That evening, while the downtown decorations are lit, the 100-person room with the pressed-tin ceiling holds its last Wild Joe's crowd.
What Comes Next at 18 W. Main
Wild Joe's said in its September announcement that a new business was already lined up for the space. On Oct. 16, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that job postings for a general manager describe a Montana Knife Company storefront in the space with an in-house Black Rifle Coffee Company shop. The postings model the store on Montana Knife Company's flagship in Missoula, which also has a Black Rifle Coffee shop inside. The Chronicle called it a developing story.
If those plans hold, coffee will still be served at the address under a different business, and Wild Joe's is asking for help finding a new home elsewhere.
Downtown's calendar continues after the Stroll. The Winter Art Walk is Friday, Dec. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Downtown shops feature local artists, and many put out refreshments. The Winter Farmers' Market's next listed date at the fairgrounds is Saturday, Dec. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Downtown Bozeman changes one storefront at a time, and you can tell a lot about a block from who has occupied it and for how long. If you'd like to talk about what's changing on Main Street or anywhere else in town, Jon Bertelsen is happy to meet for coffee and walk through it with you. You can also search Bozeman listings any time.
