In 2019, the 320 Guest Ranch took on a little reformation project on what was (once upon a time) a guest cabin built under the ownership of Dr. Caroline McGill. However, Ranch management saw a different future for the structure…an environmentally conscious Café that now serves coffee, tea, sandwiches, and snacks to ranch guests.
Walking into the Café, the first thing you may notice is the countertops. When building the new interiors, the ranch’s Maintenance Manager made creatively memorable use out of some Montana wildflowers pressed by the 320 General Manager. The pressed flowers were inlaid into the countertop, and then sealed in permanently with epoxy. This purely Southwest Montana style of the Café’s interior design is not the only notable detail, however. The Café also helps drive the 320 ranch’s ongoing effort to support local business and to be eco-friendly.
In choosing a coffee provider for the Café, the 320 chose to partner with someone who would help us uphold those above-said tenets. Elkhorn Coffee Roasters, a fair trade and organic business local to Bozeman, MT, provides the Café with the beans used to make coffee beverages listed on an antique hanging note role. To support the 320’s eco-friendly endeavors, Elkhorn uses a no-waste method when the ranch needs more beans. Instead of providing the beans in plastic bags as you see at grocery stores, Elkhorn refills a metal bucket whenever supply is running low. Additionally, Supply Squad– also local to Bozeman, MT – provides cups which are eco-friendly by having been made of recycled material.
What about lids, you ask? Yes, the 320 made sure to pick lids also made from recycled material. And, though the 320 Guest Ranch may be a long way from the ocean, we make an effort to encourage all guests to remember to skip a straw, and instead save a sea turtle!
Now, for those of you who don’t feel like or simply can’t stomach a cup of plain ol’ black coffee, trust us – we’ve kept you in mind. That antique note role menu features coffee beverages made flavorful and 100% to your liking. How? Well, Holy Cacao, a provider of small batch organic syrups and chocolate, helps us help you get all the caramel, vanilla, chocolate (you name the flavor – we’ve probably got it!) flavors you’re craving out of your coffee.
Furthermore, we also kept in mind those who would prefer tea altogether over coffee. Our Café’s tea is provided by Tumblewood Teas, a local of Big Timber, MT. Tumblewood is a business that loves the history of our state, often and rightfully touted as “the last best place”. This partnership was a match made in heaven, since we too hold a great fondness for the history of this Big Sky Country that 320 Ranch calls home.
By visiting our little cabin turned Café, not only will your taste buds be delighted, but so too will our local partners in business ownership, and the delicate ecosystems that surround the ranch. The 320 is the perfect place to relax in the heart of nature’s bounty, and we have to say, there’s nothing we can think of that could really top that off better than a hot cup of tea or coffee in hand.
Written by Lauren Peyton