Managing the Merc: Young owners take the reins of the Polebridge Mercantile in the wilds of Glacier Country, Montana

June 21, 2009

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“We have no idea what we're doing,” admits 25-year-old Stuart Reiswig, “but we're doing it with confidence.”

Dan Kaufman has long lived in the cozy rooms upstairs, where fresh-baked smells have soaked the warm walls. But now, he's moving out.

The saloonkeeper next door might put him up for the summer, in a hut out back, or a tent, or maybe even a treehouse. He's in the barn, for now.

Kaufman's in the barn because he and wife Deb have sold the Polebridge Mercantile http://members.tripod.com/polebridge/ - their rooms with the views, their gateway to Glacier - to a starry-eyed young couple from Missoula.

What 25-year-old Stuart Reiswig is doing, with partner Flannery Coats, is pioneering a lifestyle that just happens to come with a business, an off-the-grid enterprise at the heart of Montana's last outpost.

MICHAEL JAMISON of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2009/ ... /news01.txt

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Places: Polebridge

If you’re looking for a quiet place to enjoy just outside Glacier National Park, head up the road to Polebridge for a truly Montana experience.

Located one mile from the northwestern entrance to the park, the Polebridge Mercantile and Northern Lights Saloon is an oasis for the weary traveler. Besides amenities such as gas and groceries, the “Merc” offers world-class pastries and a custom roasted Polebridge blend of coffee. Check out a rustic cabin within walking distance of the old store.

By Lido Vizzutti

Full Story: http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articl ... idge/11157/
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