Bear Paw Coffee Shop & Deli

I was up early this morning and heading north/northeast on US Hwy 87 towards Chinook. As I drove through Big Sandy I debated about stopping, then changed my mind because I didn’t have a lot of spare time.

On the way back to Great Falls I made sure I had time to check out this cute coffee shop and deli.

It was almost closing time when I arrived at Bear Paw Coffee Shop & Deli. I was greeted with a smile even though they were just a few minutes away from closing.

There weren’t many bakery items left due to my late arrival but a beverage sounded good too. Lots to pick from!

As I waited for my drink I looked around the coffee shop. One wall was beautifully arranged with all of the fixings and mixings for coffee, two walls had pretty photos mounted and at the front of the shop there were some casual, brightly colored chairs.

A small multi-tiered shelf on one side of the counter displayed “Big Bud” gift items for sale. Big Bud manufactured the world’s largest tractor and it is usually displayed at a farm south of Big Sandy. There was also a brochure about a local specialty grain grown in the area – kamut – which is an Egyptian grain. I loved the tie to agriculture and that’s what the Big Sandy community is all about.

The coffee shop is housed in a renovated building originally built in 1916. There are tall ceilings with ceiling fans, wood floor and brick walls, a great atmosphere.

Bear Paw Coffee Shop & Deli is large and can probably seat at least 40 people. I visited with the owner about accommodating large groups and she said they usually have a lot of bikers in the summer but didn’t see many this year. Well, people just need to find out about this place. Gosh, even a bus tour could find seating for everyone here!

Big Sandy is a town of about 750 people and US Hwy 87 passes right through it. As a result, a lot of folks on a Montana vacation get to Big Sandy. If they took a turn on the corner of Johannes Avenue (the town’s main street) they’d end up right at Bear Paw Coffee Shop & Deli and I bet they’d enjoy their stop, just as I did!