Melanie and O’Brien Byrd have sold the liquor and wine business they’ve owned for 21 years to a Flathead Valley group of business partners headed up by Kris Archer, whose family also owns the Scout+Gather Mercantile complex on Highway 40.

The deal actually transpired in April, but customers will see the physical changes to the building in the coming weeks, as the liquor business will be rebranded as Pack Mule Wine and Liquor.

The Byrds will continue to own the Columbia Falls property on Highway 2. Archer and his associates only bought the liquor license. Pack Mule has a two-year lease on the building, Archer explained. In that time frame, they’re looking at a couple of options for a new home in Columbia Falls he said in a recent interview. They plan on being on Highway 2.

The store will be expanded in the future and will have a pack mule theme that pays homage to the pack mules that are used in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and such, Archer noted.

For the Byrds, they wanted to thank the community for its support over the years. The store started with humble beginnings in 2004 when they bought the liquor license from Jack Therrien, who ran a pharmacy and a liquor store under one roof. The store brought Therrien brief national fame, when an ad for the store was read by Jay Leno on the “Tonight Show.”

The Byrds moved the business to the former Rex’s Pawn on Highway 2 and then later to its current location. They started a non-profit community market 11 years ago and renovated a former lumber storage area into what is now The Coop, which hosted a slew of community and school gatherings over the years.

Long range plans for the property include a restaurant, the Byrds said, but they declined to release any further details at this time.

They said the business gave them the ability to give back to the community and they estimate that over the past 21 years that it has amounted to more than $250,000 given to various causes, groups and organizations.

“We prided ourselves in being able to use the successful business to give back to the community,” O’Brien Byrd said, adding, “We tried to find a way to give back to anyone who came through our doors ... We just didn’t take, we gave back a lot.”

For Archer, the same holds true, he said.

“This is more than a change in ownership — it’s an opportunity to grow something great while staying true to the character of Columbia Falls,” he said. “We’re here to carry the good stuff forward — with respect, with purpose, and with the same Montana spirit that got us here.”

He said the plan is to make it into the largest liquor store in the Flathead Valley, with support for local distilleries and businesses.