Montana Coffee Traders in Kalispell has recently leased space on Main Street in downtown Kalispell with plans to move into the new location before summer.

“We wanted to have a bigger space,” said Leslie Hunt, cafe coordinator for Montana Coffee Traders. “We’ve kind of outgrown our dining room.”

Hunt told the Inter Lake on Thursday that Coffee Traders has been contemplating the move for some time now, and that the Main Street location will offer better foot traffic in addition to more opportunities for expansion.

“We will be taking things that have worked well in both of those locations [Columbia Falls and Whitefish] and bringing that to Kalispell, while also maintaining some unique qualities to each location,” Hunt said.

In addition to a larger dining area, the new location also will feature a few new drinks and merchandise. The Kalispell location is currently closed on Sundays, though Hunt said the new location will have extended hours that include Sundays.

Montana Coffee Traders first opened its Kalispell location in 1991, serving coffee and a limited food menu. The full-service kitchen was later implemented in the late ’90s.

The new store, which will be located at 111 S. Main St., is in the process of preparing for construction. Hunt said that the construction should be complete by June 1 to open at the beginning of summer.

Reporter Alyssa Gray can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].