MY MONTANA

Wake Cup Cafe serves fresh food out of old school house

Erin Madison
emadison@greatfallstribune.com

FORT BENTON – In her early 20s, Amanda Bedford, who grew up on a ranch outside Fort Benton, moved back here.

A self-described coffee addict, Bedford decided to open a coffee shop.

“Originally, my dream was just to have a cool place for mainly the high school kids to hang out,” she said.

Bedford opened the Wake Cup Coffee House Cafe and Bakery in 2004. In the past 11 years, Bedford and the business have grown up together.

Now, rather than catering to high school students, the Wake Cup is a gathering place for morning coffee, lunch and an occasional evening event.

The restaurant, located on Fort Benton’s Front Street, serves breakfast, lunch and specialty coffee drinks out of an old school house.

The breakfast menu consists of traditional items such as eggs, hash browns, pancakes and biscuits and gravy. It also offers a wide selection of omelets that can also be ordered as a wrap. The Wake Cup offers a variety of porridge, served with berry sauce, cinnamon, nuts and other toppings.

“It’s a really nice full breakfast menu,” Bedford said.

A pastry case changes from day to day with offerings such as muffins, cookies, pies, cakes, bars and quiches.

“We make fresh scones every morning,” Bedford said.

Customers have told Bedford the scones are the best in Montana.

“We have some really great bakers on staff,” she said.

The lunch menu includes sandwiches, wraps, burgers and quesadillas. There is also a wide selection of salads and soups that change by the day.

“Our soups are fabulous,” she said. “We have a really good soup cook.”

The Wake Cup recently began offering pizza for dinner on the weekend. Currently pizza is only available for takeout or delivery.

Bedford aims to offer handmade food with fresh ingredients.

“We try to keep it as fresh and healthy as we can,” she said.

The school house the Wake Cup occupies was moved to Fort Benton from a nearby small town. It’s part of a small walking mall, and is entered via a courtyard with a fountain and outdoor tables.

“It is a really neat building,” Bedford said.

A local designer helped Bedford create the unique decor that features mason jars, old picture frames and old doors made into tables.

The Wake Cup is available for special events and does off-site catering.

“We’ve had a few weddings and rehearsal dinners here,” Bedford said.

The Wake Cup originally opened in a smaller location.

“I actually started in a small location off to the side of where we are now,” Bedford said.

Over time, the business’s following grew.

“We really had just grown out of that space,” she said.

The original location didn’t have a full kitchen. When the Wake Cup moved, Bedford tripled the menu and also tripled the staff.

She now owns the cafe with her sister and brother-in law, Jamie and Shaun Carrier. Her future brother-in law, Alex Salazar, is the pizza chef.

“We’re kind of turning into a family business,” Bedford said.

The Wake Cup Coffee House Cafe and Bakery

Menu: Breakfast, lunch and specialty coffee drinks. Pizza is available on weekends.

Address: 1714 Front St., Fort Benton

Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through September.

Prices: Breakfast items are $9 and less. Lunch is $5-$10.

Phone: 406-622-5400

Website: wakecupcoffeehouse.com