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The Toggery’s Next Step

A longtime family business, The Toggery, opens its new store in a revitalized historic building in downtown Kalispell

By Dillon Tabish
Trek Stephens, owner of Toggery Montana, stands inside his new Kalispell location. Justin Franz | Flathead Beacon

For 10 years, the original Gambles Department Store sat vacant on Main Street in Kalispell, a prominent storefront from a bygone era that seemed to embody the struggles of America’s downtowns.

Trek Stephens walked past the empty site countless times in recent years and something about it kept calling to him. Potential suitors came and went, but finally one day the “For Sale” sign sparked Stephens into action.

His initial impression was an obvious one — at 22,860 square feet, the building was massive, one of the largest single storefronts in downtown.

But once he explored the interior, he discovered there was history hidden in those walls.

“I didn’t know what the potential of this building was,” he recalled recently. “But then I got in here and I found out what I was dealing with.”

One of the classic Kalispell storefronts has become a perfect fit for one of the valley’s classic family businesses.

This week Stephens and his wife, Rene, opened The Toggery in its new home in downtown Kalispell. The retail business, which specializes in outerwear, clothing and footwear, is replacing the family’s former store on the north end of town and will complement the Whitefish shop, which similarly exists in an historic building in downtown.

“Being in downtown, this is the identity of The Toggery,” Stephens said.

Stephens’ grandparents, Frank and Jessie Stephens, opened the doors of Frank’s Shirt Shop in downtown Whitefish in 1947. A few years later, the family partnered with Rusty and Louise Abell to acquire a nearby clothing store, and the entire business became The Toggery. The family business passed to Frank Stephens’ son, Gary, in 1970, and it broadened in scope by adding both men’s and women’s clothing and footwear. In 1994, the family opened a footwear store in downtown Kalispell that operated until 2005.

Trek took over running The Toggery from his father in 1999.

It wasn’t an easy undertaking bringing the new storefront back to life. Stephens invested a substantial amount of money into the old building, gutting the interior, exposing the original brick walls, installing sprinkler systems and styling the building with reclaimed wood.

“We wanted to do it right because then you’re more proud of your investment and you’re proud to be here,” he said. “The long-term benefits for both the city of Kalispell and us, it’s worth the investment.”

The investment and revitalization of the storefront at 327 S. Main Street have sparked noticeable buzz throughout the community.

The three-story building was originally created in 1946 as the Gambles Store, a department retailer, and was one of several new post-war developments in downtown. Gambles occupied the space until 1975. The Army Navy store and an arts and craft shop operated in the space for years but it has sat vacant for a decade while commercial attention shifted to the burgeoning district on Kalispell’s north end.

But renewed efforts in the downtown core area have picked up momentum and prominent storefronts have gained new life in recent years. Sweet Peaks opened its Kalispell location on Main Street in 2012 and The Kalispell Brewing Company opened its doors a year ago.

“This is a really exciting time for downtown,” said Pam Carbonari, the former mayor who serves with the Kalispell Business Improvement District and Kalispell Downtown Association.

“The Toggery is a great anchor for us at the south end of Main Street, along with Sweet Peaks and the brewery. Without a doubt it’s going to draw people into the downtown core, which will help all the restaurants and other local stores we have on Main Street.”

The Toggery, at 327 S. Main Street, opened June 29 and will hold a grand opening in October. For more information, visit http://toggerymontana.com.