In the early morning hours of the day, Roseann Herne can be found mixing up cookie dough in the kitchen at Mary’s Mountain Cookies. From traditional flavors like chocolate chip to gourmet choices like the orange doodle, the cookies are made with the goal of spreading joy, she says.   

Roseann and Don Herne recently opened the cookie shop on Main Street in Kalispell, alongside their daughter Tara. The cookie store chain was originally founded by Mary Johns more than 25 years. 

“Our cookie culture is not just good, fresh cookies, it’s the vibe we create here,” Johns said. 

The cookies are notoriously massive — with options for 2-ounce or 4-ounce cookies — featuring classics like peanut butter and specialties like s’mores, along with seasonal favorites. The shop also features a further variety of sweet treats, including ice cream sandwiches, edible cookie dough and quarter-pound brownies.  

The Kalispell location is the only Montana store. There are about 30 stores in 12 states across the nation. The idea started in the 1980s while Johns worked in a dude ranch kitchen in Colorado. For longer pack days, Johns would make bigger, softer cookies for guests, so it wouldn’t fall apart miles into the day.  

Quickly, Johns began getting mail asking for her recipe. People raved about the cookies, until Johns opened the first Mary’s Mountain Cookies in Fort Collins, Colorado.  

“Here, they’re still the same big cookies, but we got to something special and name them after Montana,” Roseann said, like Flathead Fusion, Backcountry Peanut Butter and Montana Rainbow.   

Tara Herne, 17, daughter of Roseann and Don, who own the shop, has wanted to own a store since she was a child.  She dreamt of selling hamburgers, Roseann reflected, and then added the idea of cookies and eventually sushi to it. But the final idea landed with cookies after tasting Mary’s Mountain Cookies while traveling.  

Tara and her dad, Don, sent Johns an email asking if she had any interest in opening a storefront in the Flathead Valley. According to Johns, not many of these sorts of requests make it through to her. But this one just felt right. 

“It’s the universe sending me the right people to work with... timing is everything,” she said. 

After a lengthy process, the Hernes and Johns found a spot next to Sweet Peaks, a 23,000-square-foot studio that used to be home to Alpine Lighting. They began working on the location in the early spring, and the grand opening was July 1.   

“I’m just excited to work here, it’s fun," Tara said. Roseann added that their whole family hopes to see success, stating that downtown Kalispell would benefit from being busier. 

Johns said that it would be nice to see Mary’s Mountain Cookies continue to spread across Montana. With its heart in the west, Johns said she loves bringing the joy of cookies to various communities.  

The cookies can be found in stores in Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, South Dakota, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.  

For the summer, Mary’s Mountain Cookies is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is located at 333 Main Street in Kalispell. Mary’s Mountain Cookies can also create catering platters for events, big cookies for birthdays and take-and-bake cookie dough.  

For more information, visit marysmountaincookies.com/kalispell-mt/.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected].