How many times have we all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? 

Despite the near constant reminder of breakfast’s significance as fuel for the upcoming day, some surveys have found that up to 25% of Americans skip the meal most days. 

For those who find themselves in this group of breakfast skippers, the Mission Valley has a couple of eateries well worth the time, providing both sit-down and on-the-go experiences.  

Good Coffee, Polson: Located on Main Street in Polson, Good Coffee is one of those coffee shops full of unique furniture which includes over-stuffed couches, coffee bags draped over chairs, and family decor and local artwork on the walls.  

“A lot of this furniture is my grandma’s and so it kind of just grew out of that,” said owner John Russell. 

Natural light comes in from the east-facing windows, giving it a calming feel to go along with the earth tones. 

On their website, Good Coffee says their goal is, “to roast the best dang batch of beans to touch your tongue. We only produce the highest quality roast. If we don’t love it, we won’t sell it.” 

Good Coffee is the only organic coffee roaster in Lake County according to Russell, who launched the business more than a decade ago with his wife and co-owner, Celeste Russell. She started roasting beans on a cast-iron skillet in 2014 and has continued to upgrade her equipment and skills. 

“All our beans are sourced from fair-trade, organic farms. The profits go back into the communities surrounding the farms,” according to the Good Coffee website, which posts the business motto as “drink good, do good.” 

Coffee has long been referred to as Morning Joe, and for many it has become a replacement for the traditional morning breakfast. Good Coffee, however, doesn’t just sell coffee. They also offer a variety of breakfast items, both sweet and savory, thanks to their collaboration with the Whistle Bake Shop. 

For a recommendation, Russell says check out the Good Cookie, which is his own recipe, or the apple strudel with homemade filling. Some of the more popular breakfast options among customers are the almond croissant as well as the ham and Swiss croissant. 

Ronan Cafe, Ronan: A longtime Ronan favorite reopened this last March on Main Street and has since seen a relatively steady base of loyal customers returning to the new but familiar cafe.

Loren Unruh, the new part owner who bought the place back in January with a friend, says some of their customers go back 50 or 60 years with the cafe. 

Some of the changes that Unruh instituted include a facelift to the interior and adding new elements to their menu which includes some Mexican-American cuisine. 

However, some of the basic breakfast favorites have remained on the menu. 

“That was an old stove that I had picked up a while back and I was just waiting for the right time to use it,” said Unruh on changing an old stove into a coffee bar as part of the interior face lift of the business. 

The Ronan Cafe prides itself on providing local and handmade food. This includes organic eggs from a local farm, their homemade sausage recipe, along with their homemade bread and syrup. 

For breakfast eaters, Unruh mentioned the local favorite, French Toast Combo, which includes two eggs, your choice of meat, hash browns and, of course, French toast. This favorite can be ordered as a full or half order, which is often the favorite of older folks who come in.  

For something that might be a bit easier to take on the go, Unruh suggested their cinnamon rolls, which are a customer favorite as well. 

    Good Coffee owner John Russell smiles through the steam at a coffee station while making something for a costumer. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)   Part of the new interior face lift at the Ronan Cafe includes a new coffee station made from an Old Stove. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    Good Coffee thanks to their collaboration with Whistle Bake Shop provides a variety of breakfast items. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    A favorite on the menu at the Ronan Cafe for their patrons is the cinnamon rolls. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    Good Coffee has a variety of cool furniture which includes their chairs decorated with Coffee bags. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)