At a glance
- Roasts inHelena, MT
- Founded2019
- Founded byRachael Weidlich and Steven Ladefoged
- CafesHelena
- VisitorsOpen to the public
Montago Coffee is one of the beloved local roasters we follow in Montana: an independent roaster based in Helena, founded in 2019. Here is what their own pages and public sources say about them, in our words.
Their story
Montago began in August 2019 serving drinks from a restored 1958 Shasta camper. A cart at Ten Mile Creek Brewery came next, before the move to a permanent cafe. The name joins Montana with Otago, a New Zealand region the founders found familiar during a long trip there. Co-founder Rachael Weidlich, a Laurel native, has more than 15 years in coffee. Steven Ladefoged, a former fly-fishing guide, is the contact for wholesale.
The founders point out that Montana and Otago sit near the 45th parallel, north and south, which gives the two places similar climates and scenery. The Garrold, the house coffee poured daily in the cafe, blends washed and honey process lots from Guatemala and Costa Rica. The espresso draws on Colombia, Peru and Ethiopia. Roasting happens early in the week, on Mondays or Tuesdays, and the 2 pound bags are sold only online.
What they roast
House blends include The Garrold, Dad Caf (half caf) and Old Salt x Montago Collaboration Coffee. Single origins on the list when we checked: Colombia Pink Bourbon, Puerto Arturo and Peru Alex Julca. Espresso: Espresso Blend. A decaf is on the list. Offerings change with the seasons, so this is what their own pages listed on 2026-09-28.
Where to drink it
The downtown Helena cafe is open daily.
- 317 N Cruse Ave, Suite 102, Helena
Address
317 N Cruse Ave, Suite 102, Helena, MT 59601
Cafe in the Independent Building, downtown Helena.
Why buying from Montago Coffee matters here
The cafe shares Helena's Independent Building with Mt Ascension Brewery, a co-working space and an architecture firm. A Coffee Club open only to Helena area residents includes a vacuum canister, a 12 ounce bag each month collected on the first Friday, a free drink per month and a discount on extra beans. Its collaboration coffee with Old Salt, a Colombian lot from Pueblorico in Antioquia, came in through Montana Coffee Importers.
Every bag bought from a Helena roaster pays roasting and cafe wages in Montana, and the coffee reaches you days after roasting instead of months. That is the reason the club exists. Why local roasters matter.
About this listing
Listed as a local favorite. A listing does not mean Montago Coffee is part of the club.
Are you Montago Coffee? Email coffee@lastbestcoffeeclub.com to correct or remove this page.
More Montana roasters
- Firetower Coffee House and Roasters, Helena
- Fieldheads Coffee Company, Kalispell
- Camp Creek Coffee Roasters, Libby
By Joe McRose, Last Best Coffee Club. Updated . Facts from Montago Coffee's own pages and public sources, read 2026-09-28.