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One plus of growth in Bozeman is the abundance of new pubs, restaurants, and coffee shops opening on a regular basis. In the past, Bozemanites anticipated every new establishment, visited them within the first week of opening, and were bored with them within a month. Today, places can come and go (IE: Barley & Vine) before you even get to them, and others are around for a few years developing their brand, getting some hype, and gaining a reputation before you get around to visiting them. Thus is the case with Roly-Poly Coffee’s original location on Broadway.
Tuesday morning, I biked over to grab a cup of joe and to see what the hype was about. Here I discovered a remnant of "Old Bozeman" before everything was cleaned up and polished with Instagramable moments in mind. With a view of the interstate, the train tracks, and the lumberyard, Roly-Poly resides in the heart of industrial Bozeman. Located in a humble former pea packaging plant (Around the corner from Bozeman Brewing in the same building) it retains an appealing scrappiness. This isn’t industrial chic and there is no architecturally driven attempt to make the space look time-warn. It is just plain old and industrial.
I sat by the open, screenless front window and took it all in. Inside peopled yapped into earpieces and tapped on laptops. Customers came and went constantly, and the steady buzz of folks kept the scene vibrant. Outside, interstate traffic whizzed by and trucks servicing Bozeman’s busy building industry rumbled in and out of the lumberyard. Some sort of chute/machine attached to the building roared constantly. Together these noises comprised the symphony of a real working neighborhood. A perfectly curated selection of alt-rock harking back to the 1990s added to the vibe and to the cacophony. This didn't bother me, but if you're sensitive to noise this is probably not the place for you.
Roly-Poly was a comfortable and lively respite from “New Bozeman,” and I was instantly taken. The owners haven’t tried to disguise the setting or soften its rough edges, and there was something liberating about sitting in a place where the chipped paint was allowed to remain chipped. All its quirks and imperfection give Roly-Poly an ease that feels authentic in a way that is increasingly rare in rapidly gentrifying Bozeman. The setting invites you to settle in and stay for a while, and I could picture myself whiling away the time here on a rainy day.
My latte was excellent with a perfect coffee-to-foam ratio, and the service was prompt and attentive without being phony or smarmy. Breakfast sandwiches, “Tex-Czech-style” Kolaches, and in-house roasted coffee beans round out the offerings. I didn’t try any of them, but I’ve been told the breakfast sandwiches are the best in town.
While I liked Roly-Poly, instant affection turned to skepticism when I looked at the prices. ($4.75 2-ounce espresso; $4.25 filter coffee; $5.75 12-ounce latte). The thrown-together quality that makes Roly-Poly appealing makes its prices hard accept. At this price point, one would expect curated, luxury decor and/or a prime Main Street location or a gleaming new storefront. The atmosphere suggests informality, and the furniture gives the impression that nobody spent a fortune on it so why, exactly, the premium prices?
Yes, everything everywhere has gotten more expensive and yes, businesses must pay their employees competitively to retain them. Even before the recent tariffs, costs in Bozeman have been rising steeply for years so high prices no longer shock me. But, as you’ll see below in the comparison section, Roly-Poly prices are high even for Bozeman.
Located five blocks from Main Street in an old, industrial building, Roly-Poly seems well positioned to offer more competitive pricing. Could the rent in this roughhewn storefront really justify the cost? Why is a coffee shop that works hard to achieve a cool, casual atmosphere so expensive? Their prices make it out of reach for many and beyond what those with means may wish to pay for coffee.
While I'd visit Roly-Poly again, I won’t make it a regular stop. In a town that has become one of the western United States most desirable “It Towns”, Roly-Poly is a reminder that “local” and “authentic” don’t necessarily mean affordable.
If You Go
Locations:
• 528 North Broadway (Original)
• 321 East Main Street in the Bozeman Hotel
• 321 North 19th in Kiln Coworking
Find Roly-Poly in Cyberspace:
• Instagram and Facebook: @rolypolycoffeeco
• Website: https://rolypoly.coffee/
Menu:
Coffee Comparison
The Daily, 1203 North Rouse
• Drip - $2.25 (8-ounces), $2.75 (12-ounces)
• Americano - $3.60 (2 shots), $4.29 (3 shots)
• Espresso - $3.50 (Double shot)
• Latte - $4.25 (8-ounces), $4,75 (12-ounces)
Little Pink Coffee Cart (Formerly La Camionette), The Market at Ferguson Farm
• Drip - $3 (8-ounces), $3.50 (12-ounces)
• Americano - $3.50 (Size not specified)
• Espresso - $3.50 (Size not specified)
• Latte - $5 (8-ounces), $5.50 (12-ounces)
Rockford, 18 East Main Street, sizes not specified
• Drip - $4, $4.95
• Americano - $4
• Espresso - $4
• Latte - $5, $6
Roly-Poly, 528 North Broadway
• Drip - NA
• Americano - NA
• Espresso - $4.75 (2-ounces)
• Latte - $5.75 (12-ounces)
Studio, 1013 West College
• Drip - $2.75 (8-ounces), $3.25 (12-ounces)
• Americano - $4 (8 or 12 ounces)
• Espresso - $3.75 (2-ounce)
• Latte - $4.25 (8-ounces), $4.75 (12-ounces)
Treeline, 624 North Wallace. Most items did not list a size
• Drip - $4.25
• Americano - NA
• Espresso - $4.25 (2-ounces)
• Latte - $5.75
Wild Joe’s, 18 West Main Street
• Drip - $2.25
• Americano - $2.75 (8-ounces), $3 (12-ounces)
• Espresso - $2.50 (2-ounces)
• Latte - $4 (8-ounces), $4.75 (12-ounces)
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Other restaurant/bar reviews:
https://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/search/label/restaurant%20review
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