HELENA — Sage & Oats has been in Helena since 2018. Last year, they were pulled into the national spotlight and received threats following the comments of a former employee.
Sage & Oats have since reopened and say they wouldn’t be here without the community support they’ve received.
“We had several regulars and loyal customers who returned, and sometimes they would just pop in to give us a hug,” said Sage & Oats co-owner Michelle Robinson.
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“And I can’t tell you how many community members came in to support us and encourage us to keep going with our store,” said Sage & Oats’ other co-owner, Major Robinson.
The backlash, after the former employee’s comments came to light in November, forced Sage & Oats to close up shop for a week.
Then, they took off time before the new year to connect with family, regroup, and start the year fresh.
“It was a real reset for us,” Major said. “It was a time for us to just reconnect and recharge. It gave us a fresh perspective.”
Despite a difficult end of the year, the Robinsons said 2025 was overall successful. They saw a 30 percent increase in sales, and they’re hoping to continue that success this year.
They also added a new assistant manager, Mariah Oats, who happens to be of Chippewa Cree descent.
“We wanted someone who would best represent what our store is about, which is inclusivity and celebrating our cultural diversity,” Michelle said.
“It's really good to have a job that understands and cares about you as a person,” Oats said. “You really do get that more human aspect of interactions, and people sharing stories is super encouraged here.”
Foot traffic in the store hasn’t slowed down, and while the shop was closed, the Robinsons said people still stopped by asking how to support the business.
“My family, we all like the store and come in as often as we can, and I have found the sage and oats people here very helpful,” said customer Suzanne Undercofler. “They’ve always been very helpful, very friendly, very accommodating.”
Customers aren’t the only ones supporting sage and oats. The Robinsons said others—from Helena business owners to police officers—checked in to see how they could help.
“To get that type of response from community members and community leaders here has been really encouraging for us,” Major said.
Heading into 2026, they’re looking ahead, with the hope of not only continuing to support local artists and products, but maybe even selling their own.
The incident that caused the controversy was sparked after a now-former employee left a voicemail for U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Montana) which included this: “I hope that one day you get pancreatic cancer and it spreads throughout your body so fast that they can’t even treat you for it. I hope that you die in the street like a dog. One day you’re gonna live to regret this.”
