GREAT FALLS — Great Falls has a large veteran population, and Heidi Reiste is one of them, serving in the Air Force for 22 years.
“During that time, I was stationed out at Malmstrom two times,” explained Reiste, the co-owner of Electric City Coffee. “That’s how I have come to love Great Falls as my new home.”
Her husband Thad served in the military for 24 years and was born in Great Falls. Of all the places they’d been, it was Great Falls where Heidi and her family decided to put down their roots.
“This community has always supported our military,” Reiste said.
It was this support that led Heidi and Thad to open Electric City Coffee in 2015.
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“Becoming an entrepreneur, the Air Force really did set us up to become small business owners,” Reiste said.
To Heidi, the military prepares you well to run a coffee shop.
“They really do a great job of setting you up, because they put you in those leadership positions,” Reiste said.
Electric City Coffee has been a part of the growth taking place in downtown Great Falls over the last decade.
“The revitalization of the Great Falls downtown area really has come forward since we opened,” Reiste said.
The shop continues to thrive thanks to the community of civilians and veterans alike that continue to show them support.
“The best part about being a veteran owned business is how much our military does come in and re-support us as [a] veteran owned business,” Reiste said.
Electric City Coffee is at 319 Central Avenue in downtown Great Falls; click here to visit the website.
