A butcher, a cheesemonger, a sommelier. International candies. Local breads and seasonal vegetables. Kegs for your party. Basics. like paper towels, batteries, and cat food, when you’re in a pinch. The shopkeeper who knows your name, and your parents’ names, and maybe even their parents’ names. Before the other gourmet grocers in Bozeman we know today, there was and remains Joe’s Parkway Market.
Originally called Parkway Market, when College Street was a main road (or “parkway”) to access Yellowstone Park, Joe and Sally Wantulok purchased the store in 1969. Joe brought grocery business experience with him, having worked for many years at Safeway, and the store was renamed Joe’s Parkway Market. The store remains in the family, now owned and operated by Joe’s grandson Tyler Wantulok and his wife, Tara.
To MSU students and staff, Joe’s is where you grab lunch or ingredients on your way home to make dinner. To neighbors, it’s the place to go when you’re in that pinch. To newcomers to the Gallatin Valley, it may not even be a known destination, located on the edge of campus at 903 W. College. But to locals, it’s a hidden treasure – a special place to shop for staples as well as gourmet items, with a mom-and-pop vibe that is increasingly hard to come by.
Upon entering the brick building, shoppers are greeted by friendly staff and crafty seasonal displays (and the occasional MSU Bobcat-centric display). There’s a produce section, meats and cheeses, dry goods, breads, a frozen section, local Hutterite pickled jars of wonder, a fabulous wall of bulk candy, a tiny toiletries section, and of course, the exceptional wine and beer selection. One can get lost in browsing the hand-made cards, imported spices and sauces, local coffees and teas, extensive European chocolates, even Griottines.
“I love to support local, small, customer-recommended products, along with the everyday items,” explained Tara. “I order from over 200 different companies. We have a unique demographic….we’re a college store, a neighborhood store, and a destination spot.”
Over the years, Joe’s has grown and filled many niches – it had a full-service meat department, which provided products to Burger Bobs, Taco Johns, Spectators Bar & Grill, and Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, and Joe’s used to process wild game. In the late eighties, Joe’s was published in Playboy magazine for selling the most beer (packaged and keg) per capita west of the Mississippi for a couple years running.
In addition to basic and gourmet groceries, Joe’s also offers meat and cheese trays, custom gift baskets, grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, and a small newsstand.
Loyal customers make a point to shop at Joe’s to support a locally owned and operated business, to avoid the big box or chain grocery store options, or because you just can’t find that Swiss nougat anywhere else in town.
“It’s because of the amazing community and dedicated customers that we’ve been able to be here for over 50 years,” said Tara. “We have evolved from a convenient grocery store into a specialty market with unique finds, but also with the essentials.”