General Mercantile

What was once a local staple and a part of Helena's history has now become a haven for gentrification and "progressive" politics. Some of the quirky novelty items have been retained, which is good, although now they are mainly political instead of just being fun. They made the choice to remove the original front booths and put in a standing table, which looks worse and probably seats less people. I might visit it again, but only because the coffee and atmosphere is still good. It's changed in a lot of ways and it's not better off for it. Change isn't always a good thing, especially for a place where a timeless theme is the whole point.

Update after recent visits: No laptops or Wi-fi (just ... lol), which they used to do years back. The "preserve the counter-culture" angle is somewhat laughable given the politics they propagate are currently mainstream. After looking at some of the snide owner responses to negative reviews it's clear that not everyone is welcome here, which is kind of sad and maybe even (ironically) counter to the values they seemingly promote throughout their store (liberalism, egalitarianism, feminism). I also noticed that they removed some of the original Americana and Montana artifacts (like the old tin signage of Montana pin-up girls) that were up toward the ceiling (which might make sense given this place is run by gender studies majors), amongst other things around the store. I just want the old General Merc back - warm people and atmosphere w/ great coffee, very homey, very Montana; this new, post-covid place is not it. Oh well. I have a lot of fond memories growing up in Helena and frequenting the old General Merc - I'm thankful for that.

This place is magical. Need some witty magnets? How about some nostalgic candy? An espresso drink from a super cool lever machine? Well, the Merc has you covered. Customer service is top notch and the owners are pretty cool to boot. Plus, they understand when it’s necessary to take a month off and take care of themselves and their space. Helena is lucky to have a place like this.

Coffee and Italian soda was on point, so was the general atmosphere, merch, and little tree house area for kids.

Got weird when a self-described "teenager with a full tank of gas and a lot of time" talked loudly about bullying someone in her car by tailgating and being aggressive to the barista.

Otherwise a great place.

Amazing coffee and employees. My girlfriend and I love to go here to get coffee, great atmosphere and great prices.

Love this place, so cool and unique. Very friendly staff and great coffee.

This shop is awesome!! SUCH a cool, funky atmosphere with all kinds of hidden treasures. They have booths and stalls tucked in any which way all throughout the store, so you'll be walking around examining all of the fun merchandise and then just happen across a booth tucked in amongst the shelves. There is a mini koi pond in the middle of the store which seems like it wouldn't fit with the theme of the shop, but it totally does! We came in just to look around so I can't speak to their drink or food quality, but if it is anything like the shop itself, it'll be top notch!

This was my first visit to the Mercantile. The beverages were tasty enough, but what I truly enjoyed was the atmosphere. My friend and I were able to seat ourselves in a cozy nook near a fountain stocked with Koi. The peaceful atmosphere contributed much to a great conversation. We laughed together over some of the unusual products sold here, and were impressed by the large assortment of truly lovely quality gift items that are offered. I'll be back!

You might come in for the gifts or chocolate bar bar (trust me, that's not a typo) but don't sleep on their coffee. That Americano I had might have been one of the best ever!

Wanted to get coffee, but was honestly so turned off by the blatant liberal political/anti-Christian vibe that I left. I honestly believe in freedom of speech and am happy to listen to anyone's opinion but felt like if anyone was a Christian or conservative, they would not be welcome here. I'm sure the shop isn't interested in those people's business anyways. Cute location and shop, but wouldn't stop here again.

What a quaint place nestled in downtown Helena. The interior has been artfully modeled as an intimate neighborhood Market. The intrigue of all the candy and cute things displayed, is irresistible to adult and child alike. Coffee and yummy hot chocolate are sold there. There are hidden nocks and crannies for an isolated morning paper read or computer work. Obviously, the patrons consider the Mercantile to be a special gathering place for oneself or with their friends. The hostess/worker was very readily available for taking our order and making look delicious our drinks. She was friendly and openly happy and smiley.