Behind the Business: Bear’s Beans & Bagels Is Growing — Without Losing the Family Feeling

Coffee may be in the name, but Bear’s Beans & Bagels has built its following on much more than a morning cup.

Now with locations in Umatilla and Mount Dora, the locally owned shop serves handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks, cold brew, refreshers and specialty energy drinks alongside bagels, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and light lunch options. The menu has a playful personality of its own, with rotating specialty drinks, oversized creations and combinations that range from sweet, dessert-inspired coffees to hearty breakfast sandwiches.

For owner Mel, though, the real measure of the business has always been the relationships built around that menu.

“When we first opened three years ago, success meant getting customers through the door and simply keeping the business going,” she said. “Today, success is seeing those same faces become regulars, knowing their names and orders, watching our team grow and becoming a place that truly feels like part of the community.”

That philosophy has taken on new meaning as Bear’s Beans & Bagels enters its next chapter. The company recently opened its second location in Mount Dora, an important milestone for a business that started only three years ago and has grown without wanting to lose the personal, familiar atmosphere that helped define it from the beginning.

Where Coffee and Bagels Came Together

The roots of Bear’s stretch back further than its first storefront.

Coffee was already part of Bear’s life through his grandfather, Patrick O’Dare, who operated a commercial coffee business serving offices and other businesses throughout Central Florida. Bear and his grandfather also shared a love of good bagels, making trips together to a bakery in DeLand and later sending each other photos whenever one of them discovered a particularly good one.

Those memories eventually helped inspire a business that brought the two together.

Mel and Bear also saw a need in their community for something more personal than a typical quick-stop coffee experience. They wanted to create a locally owned place where customers could get quality coffee and fresh food while still receiving the kind of friendly service that made them feel known.

“Bear’s Beans & Bagels is your local spot for handcrafted coffee, great bagels and friendly service that makes you feel like family,” Mel said.

The first Bear’s Beans & Bagels opened in Umatilla in 2023, and the brand quickly developed a personality that was colorful, playful and distinctly its own. Traditional coffee drinks share the menu with creative specialty flavors, refreshers and oversized options, while the bagel menu gives customers plenty of ways to build breakfast around their own tastes.

One favorite even has Mel’s name attached to it. “Mel’s Way” combines a jalapeño cheddar bagel with sausage, cream cheese and hot sauce, offering a good example of the kind of fun, unconventional combinations that have become part of the Bear’s identity.

From One Shop to Two

The response to the original Umatilla location eventually gave Bear’s the opportunity to think beyond one storefront.

Three years after opening its first shop, the company expanded into Mount Dora and began introducing the Bear’s experience to a new community.

“We opened our second location in Mount Dora to bring the Bear’s Beans & Bagels experience to a new community,” Mel said.

Opening a second location is a significant achievement for any small business, but for Mel it has also reinforced one of the biggest lessons she has learned as an owner: growth requires trust.

“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a business owner is that you can’t do everything yourself,” she said. “Building a strong team, learning to delegate and trusting the people around you is just as important as working hard.”

Even with two locations, Mel remains closely involved in the day-to-day business. Customers may still find her behind the counter making drinks, talking with regulars, training staff or working through what she describes as the company’s next “crazy idea.”

That hands-on approach is part of how Bear’s is trying to grow without becoming impersonal. New systems, more employees and a second location may change the size of the operation, but Mel still wants customers to feel like they have walked into a neighborhood business where people know who they are.

When Employees Become Family

That sense of connection extends to the Bear’s team as well.

One of the biggest challenges Mel has encountered is also one of the most bittersweet. Many team members join Bear’s while they are still young, and eventually some move on to college, new careers and other opportunities.

For Mel, those departures feel more personal than ordinary staff turnover.

“We truly become family, so watching them grow and move on is bittersweet,” she said. “Losing a team member often feels like losing part of our family, even though we’re incredibly proud to see them take that next step.”

Her perspective says a great deal about the culture Bear’s is trying to create. The goal is not simply to keep a counter staffed, but to build an environment where employees grow, customers return and relationships develop naturally over time.

Building Relationships, Not Just a Customer Base

That emphasis on relationships also shapes Mel’s advice to other local business owners.

“Build relationships, not just a customer base,” she said. “Get involved in your community, get to know your regulars, take care of your team, listen to feedback and never stop looking for ways to grow.”

Bear’s has worked to put that philosophy into practice through support for local schools and teachers, youth athletics, first responders and community events. The business also hosts family-friendly activities such as monthly coloring contests, giving customers another way to interact with the brand beyond simply placing an order.

With the Mount Dora location now open, Mel says the company is looking forward to becoming more involved locally as well. Bear’s is still a relatively new member of the Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce, but the team plans to attend upcoming events, develop relationships with other local businesses and become an active part of the community.

What Comes Next?

Mel is not revealing everything Bear’s has planned next, but she makes it clear that the company is not standing still.

“We always have something up our sleeve,” she said.

As Bear’s continues to grow, the team is constantly looking for new ideas, ways to improve the customer experience and opportunities to bring something fresh to the communities it serves.

It would be easy to measure that next chapter simply by locations, sales or expansion, but Mel’s own definition of success points somewhere else. For Bear’s, success is also found in the regular customer whose order the team already knows, the employee who grows into a new opportunity and the person who visited once and eventually became part of the daily routine.

Opening a second location is an important milestone for Bear’s Beans & Bagels. The bigger challenge now is making sure that as the business grows, the feeling that helped build it stays the same.

Quick Insights

Why Mount Dora: Bear’s opened its second location to bring its coffee, bagels and community-focused approach to a new audience.

Biggest lesson learned: Growth requires learning to delegate, trust a strong team and understand that one person cannot do everything alone.

How Bear’s defines success today: Regular customers, strong relationships, a growing team and becoming a meaningful part of the community.

Something people may not know: Even with two locations, Mel is still regularly behind the counter making drinks, training employees and connecting with customers.

Advice for other business owners: Build relationships, take care of your team, listen to feedback, stay involved locally and never lose sight of why you started.

Community involvement: Bear’s supports local schools and teachers, youth athletics, first responders and community events while also hosting family-friendly activities such as monthly coloring contests.