Following many months of extensive and often noisy renovation, the Polebridge Mercantile officially reopens on May 1st.
According to their Facebook page, the hours will be:
May: 7am-close (6ish during the week and 9ish on weekends)
June-August: 7am-10pm
September-November: 7am-close (6ish during the week and 9ish on weekends)
And even more good news, the Northern Lights Saloon and Cafe plans to reopen about four weeks later, on Memorial Day weekend.
Larry Wilson’s column this week in the Hungry Horse News talks about the Northern Lights Café and Saloon’s successful year-long effort to acquire (reacquire, really) a liquor license. He also provides an update on the renovations at the Northern Lights and the Polebridge Mercantile.
I am sure that by now most North Forkers have heard the good news. The Northern Lights Café and Saloon have been granted a full liquor license. It has been a long struggle. The previous owner of the Northern Lights lost the license and the new operators, Reiswigs and O’Haras, had to start over at square one. . .
In the end I suspect the Northern Lights will be the premier North Fork watering hole and eating place. The new owners have cleaned, renovated and retained the backcountry ambiance with good food, service with a smile and involvement in the community.
In addition, Stuart and Flannery have added to the “Polebridge appeal” with the operation of the Polebridge Mercantile. They have continued the terrific bakery, installed an efficient electrical system (solar) and this winter are further improving the Merc itself.
The Merc will be closed — at least, officially — from Dec 1, 2010 through Apr. 30, 2011. According to a letter Flannery & Stuart sent out a few days ago, ‘We will be working on the Merc – so please consider us “neighbors with benefits” regarding message service, emergency gas and anything else you might need that we might have.’
Larry Wilson’s “North Fork Views” column in this week’s Hungry Horse News heaps well-deserved praise on the Polebridge Mercantile and Northern Lights Café and their new owners.
As usual, Larry’s column is recommended reading.
The Flathead Beacon posted a short “Places” article on Polebridge today . . .
If you’re looking for a quiet place to enjoy just outside Glacier National Park, head up the road to Polebridge for a truly Montana experience.
Located one mile from the northwestern entrance to the park, the Polebridge Mercantile and Northern Lights Saloon is an oasis for the weary traveler. Besides amenities such as gas and groceries, the “Merc” offers world-class pastries and a custom roasted Polebridge blend of coffee. Check out a rustic cabin within walking distance of the old store.
The saloon is the ideal place to grab a bite of pizza or wild game over a cool frosty beverage, which taste even better after a night or two of backcountry camping or a day hike across the park’s border.
Today’s top story in the online edition of the Missoulian is about the new owners of the Polebridge Mercantile. It even includes a short video! Here’s the lede . . .
Dan Kaufman has long lived in the cozy rooms upstairs, where fresh-baked smells have soaked the warm walls. But now, he’s moving out.
The saloonkeeper next door might put him up for the summer, in a hut out back, or a tent, or maybe even a treehouse. He’s in the barn, for now.
Kaufman’s in the barn because he and wife Deb have sold the Polebridge Mercantile – their rooms with the views, their gateway to Glacier – to a starry-eyed young couple from Missoula.
All kinds of good information was presented at last weekend’s North Fork Landowners’ Association meeting. Most of this material will no doubt show up on their web site or in the newsletter, but one item needs broader distribution. Stuart Reiswig and Flannery Coats, the new owners of the Polebridge Mercantile, announced that they hope to reestablish the Polebridge post office. This won’t happen unless the US Postal Service sees a lot of community interest. (I believe the actual phrase was, “a hundred screaming heads.” NFLA meetings do have their moments.) Once we find out how to get comments to the proper people in the USPS labyrinth, we’ll post the information here.