How a California mountain town diner became a beloved national chain

San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate.com ^ | Sep 12, 2024 | By Madeline Wells, Senior Food Reporter

[thecodont]

No matter where you are in America, the second you pull off the freeway and step into a Black Bear Diner, you’re transported to bear country.

Carved wooden bears beckon you inside the forest green-carpeted, log cabin-themed restaurant. As you feast on bear-sized portions of eggs and chicken fried steak, you might gaze upon ruffled window valances adorned with bears, a bear in a kayak hanging from the ceiling, or an enormous bear mural encircling a green vinyl booth in the corner. Pieces of artwork featuring bear puns are endless: “Welcome to the beary best food,” “Cave sweet cave,” “Who let the bears out?” — you get the point.

The very first Black Bear Diner opened in 1995 in Mount Shasta, where black bears come with the wooded territory. Growing up in the Northern California town, co-founder Bob Manley’s childhood was filled with the colossal mammals. Legend has it that when he was 12 years old, he had a close call with a nearly 600-pound black bear while on a hunting trip with his father. They ended up killing the bear, and to this day, Manley still wears one of its gold-capped claws as a necklace.

[...]

Still, Black Bear Diner has never touched the portion size. On my visit, I could barely finish half of my enormous breakfast, which featured an omelet the size of my face, a biscuit and hash browns.

[T-Bird45]

BBD didn’t get much traction here, 2 were opened & only one remains. Too many other good local diners for competition & BBD was usually overpriced, IMO.

[vpintheak]

Never heard of them.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

They opened a Black Bear diner here a few years ago. My friend and I visited during opening week. The food was delicious in large portions. The waitresses were young, beautiful, and efficient. The whole restaurant was abuzz with a great vibe.

Then we went back a few weeks later. The food was meh, the waiters looked like homeless zombies, and there was no vibe.

Evidently restaurants that are on an expansion spree will hire actors to go from opening to opening to generate a great buzz. But when the circus leaves town, that's when reality sets in and high debt load leads to low wages and second rate food.

[married21]

There is a Black Bear Diner near us. I like it and wish I could go more often. In Los Angeles County, during Covid, restaurants had to reduce menus and try outdoor seating. Black Bear Diner did a good job of continuing to provide sit down service.

[antceecee]

One near us as well.

[roving]

The first time I ever heard of them. must not be too national.

[MCF]

I just looked them. They’re all West of the Mississippi.

[FreedomPoster]

Thanks, saved me the trouble.

[riverrunner]

I had a career where I eat out a lot.

I have eaten several times at a Black Bear dinner.

Restaurant food is restaurant food.

But I have eaten and do like actual black bear meat.

[Bullish]

The food there is just, Meh... Nothing all that great.

[Flycatcher]

When I was a field biologist out West, I’d stop at a Black Bear Dinner at every opportunity. I’d only eat once a day and the portions there were huge, so it worked for me. Food was good too.

I remember once eating at a Black Bear in Vegas, and the background music was the Beatles. Then I noticed it was actually the White Album being played in full. When side 4 came up, I thought to myself: There’s no way a restaurant is going to play the horrible Revolution Number 9 as background music. But the song came up and it played all the way through without someone changing it. Funny stuff!

[NetAddicted]

I’d love to try a Big Bear omelet.

[marktwain]

Here is one in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is east of the Mississippi.

[lightman]

https://blackbeardiner.com/locations/

Our locations

Arkansas
Arizona
California
Colorado
Idaho
Kansas
Missouri
Nevada
Oklahoma
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Washington

[caddie]

Slogan: “Come on in. We want to have you for dinner!”

[Wuli]

In an area in Southern California whee I have friends and relatives, they have a local chain of Restaurants named Corkeys.

All egg dishes are three eggs. You only onder a short stack of pancakes (3) because pancakes are all dinner-platter size and five is just too much.

The food is good but always just too too much.

[MCF]

Here is what I went from:
https://blackbeardiner.com/locations/

[chaosagent]

Well, this is kind of the story, but not the whole story.

The original BBD was actually the Hi-Lo Motel & Cafe in Weed, CA, which dates back to the 40’s, I believe.

That’s where the newspaper menus, the large portions, and the actual items on the menu came from.

The story goes that in the 90’s there was a divorce in the family that owned Hi-Lo and they split off and went down the road to Mount Shasta and started the first Black Bear Diner concept.

[Nifster]

A great place to eat