Success Story: Moose Junction Coffee and Espresso in Helena, Montana
May 16, 2023 (Published: June 23, 2016)
A big Crimson Cup welcome to Moose Junction Coffee and Espresso! A joint venture by longtime friends Alex and Mary Lemieux and Shawn and Lisa Peterson, the coffee house celebrated its grand opening June 7 at 7534 Roughsawn Drive, Suite A-1 in Helena, Montana.
The Lemieux and Peterson families have known one another since their eldest daughters rode the bus together in kindergarten. For nearly 18 years, both families have lived in Helena’s North Valley area, about a 20-minute drive from the city’s coffee houses and pizza kitchens.
Seeing a need for more convenient local access to coffee and pizza, the families began sketching out a business plan to provide both. They turned to Crimson Cup and our 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program to learn how to open a coffee shop. Based on the book, Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry by Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert, the program provides everything new business owners need to open and operate a successful coffee house.
“As a coffee roaster and coffee franchise alternative, Crimson Cup believes our success is based in our customers’ success,” Greg said. “We support coffee shop owners at every step – from scouting a great location and writing a coffee shop business plan to choosing equipment, hiring staff and providing comprehensive training and marketing support.”
After completing their 7-Steps training, the families opened Moose Junction in April. The coffee house is staffed by the four owners and their daughters Miranda, Tasha, and Laura. A fourth daughter, Ketcha, helps out during summer college breaks.
Moose Junction serves a full menu hot and cold espresso, cappuccino, latte and mocha drinks, drip coffee, smoothies, and hot and iced teas. A drive-thru window caters to coffee-lovers on the go. The owners have decided to delay the opening of the pizza kitchen until later in the summer to focus on developing a coffee customer base and perfecting the art of crafting espresso-based beverages.
Over the 13 hours of the June 7 grand opening celebration, Moose Junction baristas served a whopping 1,290 drinks. “Moose gals” dressed in moose costumes helped attracted crowds of 30 to 40 customers at a time, and members of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce stopped by for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Congrats to the Moose Junction team on a successful launch! We look forward to a long and productive partnership.