Montana Plains Bakery to open second location in Wyndhurst

As some storefronts in Wyndhurst emptied out, Ken Burger knew what kinds of shops he wanted to see replace them.

The president of the Wyndhurst Association said he wanted small, unique shops that make a tight-knit community. “We’ve always wanted Wyndhurst to attract businesses that had a unique flavor.”

That unique flavor is on its way: Montana Plains Bakery plans to open a second location at the heart of the neighborhood off of Enterprise Drive.

The bakery’s owners bought a building on Tradewynd Drive in August. They plan to hire and train new bakers during the holiday season and open the new bakery in the new year.

Co-owner Steve Coates said now is a prime time to expand and grow the business. Many costs of doing business have dropped, including the cost of wheat, real estate and interest rates.

“A couple of years ago we never could have afforded to (expand),” he said.

Montana Plains Bakery opened in Boonsboro Shopping Center in 1996 after a local investor bought some bakery equipment at an auction. Coates’ wife bought a portion of the shop in 1997, and Coates later bought the rest.

It was named for the Montana-grown wheat that the company used to mill on site, said co-owner Joey Hertzberg. It no longer mills its own wheat but uses the King Arthur brand of wheat flour, he said.

Coates’ wife is Hertzberg’s mother.

Hertzberg said the bakery struggled for some years but it now has a diverse menu and a large customer base.

While it started with an emphasis on bread, it now sells quiche, pies, dessert rolls and more.

“Every product has a following,” he said. “If you cancel a product around here, you’ll hear about it.”

About one year ago the bakery started serving lunch. “You have fresh baked bread, and what better thing to do than make a sandwich?” he said.

As Montana Plains grew, Burger took notice. He and his wife enjoy many of the shop’s products, especially the garlic bread.

“I’ve enjoyed their products for a long time,” said Burger. “… When you buy bread from Montana Plains, you’re not buying anything that you can find in a grocery store. You’re buying a unique product with extra flavor, with extra variety.”

A year or more ago, Burger turned from customer to salesman. “I said, you know, you guys would do well in Wyndhurst.”

Hertzberg said it was interesting that Burger personally would try recruiting them. He had always liked Wyndhurst’s location and concept, he said.

Coates said that he looked at the possibility of renting space in other parts of the city, but he decided buying a building in Wyndhurst would be a better investment.

In August he bought one near the corner of Enterprise Drive and Tradewynd. A banner on the side of that building promises that Montana Plains is coming soon.

Coates is buying new bakery equipment for the second shop. He originally thought of opening in October, but he decided to wait until after the busy holiday season. That way he will have time to train new bakers, he said.

“Starting a bakery is really a challenge,” he said. But “because we struggled in the early years, we know what it’s all about.”