Brown Bear Bakery5 min read

So, I skipped my favorite workout class to head on down to try Brown Bear Bakery, and it was worth every bit of missing my class!! Although, I probably gained a couple lbs. because I had to try everything but…life’s too damn short!

My husband and I checked in on Saturday so I could preview it. When you pull up, you feel like you are going to the hip spot in NY. You know, that spot everyone says you have to try because it’s a must-go place. There’s a little line out the door but it is worth it, trust me. When you open the door, you immediately experience the smell of pure goodness, and you anxiously wait for your turn to order. I think, with my couple of visits, I have tried most items. Not all, because some things will rotate in and out with seasons, so I will forever have something new to try!

Brown Bear is the labor of love of Blair Fornshell, her fiancé Chaske Haberkos (he handles sales) and her baking buddy Sami. This trio is working some serious magic on 13th St.

Blair, who started baking when she was young, worked (while in college) at Findlay Market. She was busting her butt baking all night and trying to go to culinary school full-time. She ultimately decided to start doing her own thing by selling to coffee shops and doing pop-ups at City Flea and other events. Through it all, she never lost sight of her ultimate goal…opening her own store. In 2015 she found this adorable corner spot. After a lot of work, it’s perfect…with its ceiling to floor windows, old re-done wooden floors and just the feel of an old-time, cozy bakery.

You’ll have a hard time picking what you want…Just sayin if you googled delicious BBB would pop up! The Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake is so soft with brown sugar melted inside. When you dig in, it’s like caramel oozing out…soooo good! The Cinnamon Rolls are hot and fresh with a perfect amount of icing and a pinch of orange zest. I love Matcha, so the Matcha Almond cake with vanilla bean glaze is perfect with a cup of coffee. The Blueberry Muffin is truly like no other! The Beareos (homemade oreos …yessss …please) Oh, oh, oh… and the scones…delish especially the Toasted Walnut Goat Cheese & Honey Scone…way better than it even sounded! Everything here is made with love and perfection. The trio is so friendly and adorable I could go on and on.

You must make this a priority on your list of things to do. Some items will, most likely, be staples. And others, like the muffins and scones, might change a bit with seasons. They are adding more to the coffee area soon and maybe some teas. All still in the works, but they already have a good cup of coffee offered. They are also figuring out how fast things are selling. They are baking fresh every morning, so know that if you wait to get there, things may be sold out. But I promise whatever is left is still AMAZING! All I have to say is they might get sick of seeing me, but I’m not going to be able to skip anymore workouts!

Things To Know:

• Best time to go Wednesday morning :)

•They currently have limited seating. Addition handmade furniture coming soon. There are a few tables inside and out and a standing ledge along the window.

• Follow Blair’s BBB pictures on Instagram...if they were just scratch and sniff it would be awesome! Her pics are yummy

•Parking on the streets, it’s worth paying an Uber to drop you off and wait :)

•What’s in the name? Blair’s nieces and nephews couldn’t say Blair so they call her Bear. She wanted to tie that in, so when she researched bears the Brown Bear fit with its description of “courageous, stands up to adversity, protective of its babies… and it sounded cute ;)

• You’re next to the famous “Lilly Wall” by local artist Cody Gunningham so be sure to take a pic!

• Photography by Amy Spasoff – Best photographer in town!

• Address:

116 E. 13th St.

• Hours:

Closed Monday & Tuesday

Wednesday – Friday 8:30am – until sold out

Saturday & Sunday -10:00 am – until sold out