Break Espresso — Restaurant in Missoula

The atmosphere is nice when everyone patronizes. There are people who come in, don't buy anything, but sit down & take up space and sometimes sleep. Then there are people who do buy something, AND do all of the above. There is NOT a zero tolerance for it. The employees just keep waking them up and eventually it becomes an eyesore, whether they bought something or not.

The so-called old timers that come in early every morning and always sit at the table right next to the counter seem to think they decide who is allowed in and who isn't. They stare everyone down. They have a specific like for harassing transgender people, specifically trans-females. They leave around 6:30 am everyday and go through a door that is adjacent to charlie's bar, even though it's closed, and, ironically, hang around a trans-female that works there. I've heard that the owner there has warned them to not bother her because he likes her. But when these oldies are in the coffee shop, it's a different story. They harassed me alot in the beginning, and one time told me I had to find another coffee shop. They constantly stare at everyone, but especially at the women. It's not a casual glance. There have been complaints about them and their behavior. They seem to think they can do whatever they want, like they own the place, just because they've been going there for a long time. Well so have I... 5 days a week for 2 years.

A new barista started working on 09/02/2025, opening shift (to the best of my knowledge based on my obversations). It's a boy, not a man, but a boy. He refers to the women as "sir".

Speaking of baristas -- Troy is amazing. His personality shines everyday. He is respectful and courteous to everyone, with no conditions attached. He's fair to everyone within the scope of the business and his job. I tend to have some rather off putting jokes that are probably not funny, but Troy is cool with it, because he realizes everybody is unique in their very own way. He accepts everyone into the business, but still does his job by keeping a watchful eye for potential issues. He is very prompt when customers walk in and fulfills every expectation within the scope of his job. I have watched this man work. He is perfect for customer service. Great sense of humor, great manners, utmost respect for others, good work ethic, consistently engages with customers while fulfilling their orders. I said it once and I'll say it again... He is perfect for customer service, and may even make a great barista manager.

The other A.M. baristas are mediocre most of the time. Both weekday & weekend baristas. It's usually accompanied with a semi-snotty attitude. Enganging with customers only if they like something about the person, otherwise they just make your order and give it to you, along with the silent treatment. Not impressed.

Speaking of managers, Teaha, the bakery manager, is a wonderful kind hearted person. She's a real hard worker, and her bakery products are phenomenal. Her cinnamon rolls are the best in all of missoula. She's super cool & laid back. She too accepts all, as long as you behave yourself.

All in all, I am giving four stars, because my satisfaction meter is at about 80%. I go here monday thru friday, only in the early a.m. Based on my observations as a customer, there are only 5 employees deserving of recognition. Like I said above, I am here only in the a.m., but I have been in on the weekend as well. But there are a few a.m. employees I'm not impressed with.

The ones I am impressed with are...

Teaha - Bakery Manager Troy - Weekday A.M. Barista Hannah - Baker Kelsey - Baker Sonny - Delivery Driver / Bakery Helper

These are the employees who have demonstrated a strong committment to the job, consistency, excellent communication, and have demonstrated great customer service skills, even while...

I want to give it 4 stars, I do, but I can't.

Pros: -Decent coffee: they offer espresso, basic house roast, decaf ... Nothing to right home about. Earthy flavor, hint of brightness, probably a Central American blend.

-Amicable staff: The baristas here are real people, nothing saccharine about them in the slightest. They're usually knowledgeable when it comes to house products, and will even give dinner recommendations on occasion.

-Large selection of pastries, pies, quiche, muffins, with discounts on day olds (if available). All are baked on site.

-Tons of tables, many come with lamps.

-Good for singles, duos, and groups up to 8, possibly 10.

-Power outlets at nearly all of the tables near the walls.

-Wheelchair accessible, including restrooms.

-Filtered water cooler for customer use.

-Microwave for customer use.

-Good atmosphere: historic building with high ceilings, brick walls, no fluorescent lights, exposed beams.

Cons: -WiFi here is garbage ... The Break has both a Front and a Rear router, but it's still hit or miss, and the staff is usually too busy to go reset it if needed.

-Legendary lines ... If you see a line here of 2+ people, and you need to be somewhere in 5 minutes, you're going to be about 15 minutes late, guaranteed.

-Strange prices ... $3.20, $2.60, $4.80 ... why not just round it up/down to the nearest quarter?

-Restrooms are so dimly lit, you expect William S. Burrows to fall out of the supply cupboard, with a needle sticking out of his arm.

-Are you Celiac or gluten free due to wheat allergy? DON'T GO HERE. They make everything on site, and the kitchen is open to the rest of the building. Even a coffee from here will...

Friendly, familiar faces. They have good staff retention. That's a plus on multiple levels; -My coffee tastes pretty consistent from visit to visit. -The barista usually remembers my name. -Well treated employees tend to be happier with their work, and by extension customers have a more pleasant experience. -Happy customers make for a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere.

There is a lot of space, and a lot of tables. Sometimes there are a lot of people, and the order line can get long, but, refer back to good staff retention, and its benefits (they are adequately efficient).

They open at 5:30am and don't close until 10pm. They have local art on the walls, a weekly board game night, and sometimes, tasteful music performance.

All of the baked goods are made from scratch! This is something they don't advertise, and it's a rare sign of quality commitment in this day and age! They have a satisfying variety of pies and cheesecakes, quiche, as well as 5 kinds of Cookie, shortbread, espresso brownies, peanut butter -oatmeal- chocolate chip (moose) bars, bacon or sausage -egg-and cheddar buttermilk biscuits, turkey bagel sandwich and two types of panini, using bread from Le Petit Outre!

Community oriented, and welcoming, locally owned, historically housed, absolute gem of a downtown...