Born in the small mountain town of Mount Shasta, CA, founders Bruce Dean and Bob Manley created their first diner with a black bear theme. They wanted it to be a place where family and friends could be served home-cooked meals with a focus on providing guests with exceptional service. Their vision also included a community-centered atmosphere, where small-town values like honesty, integrity and hard work were honored. 30 years later, Black Bear Diner is thriving and still serving the same genuine experience.
Representing the best of the American dream, Bruce Dean and Bob Manley grew their idea of a welcoming place for friends to gather into a prospering, family-focused restaurant that has its sights set on dominating the category. Take a look at where we began and where we’re going.
1st Diner opens in Mt. Shasta, CA
Franchising is offered for 1st time
30th Diner opens, sales exceed $50M
Opened 100th location, named a “disruptor” in family dining by NRN
25th Anniversary,
143 Locations in 14 States
169 Diners in 14 states – 30th Anniversary
Our Franchise Partners are highly involved in supporting the communities in which they do business. Our giving mission is to support philanthropic efforts — we do this as a company on a national level and within the local community through sponsorship and fundraising events.
Started in 2018, Bears Brew Back supports the Nicaraguan families that grow the single-origin coffee we serve in our restaurants. The program provides support for infrastructure, medical and educational-focused activities. Beginning as an internal program, it quickly gained momentum. Today, our guests can support this important endeavor by purchasing bags of the 100% Nicaraguan coffee at our Diners, with all profits going to fund Bears Brew Back initiatives.
Our projects provide water filtration and storage delivering potable water to the communities and families that grow our coffee. Additionally, we provide supplies that allow area children to attend school.
Save Room For A Wish® is our annual fundraiser to help grant the wishes of children with critical illness. Held each December, funds are raised through limited-time-only dessert offerings and the sale of $1 and $5 Wish Stars. We have currently raised over $2.2 million dollars for Make-A-Wish®.
Earn funds for your organization by inviting friends and family for dine-in, delivery, or carryout. Start here for more details and registration at participating diners.
Connecting with our communities is important to us, and we are committed to supporting worthy causes through in-kind donations at participating diners.
Meet Some of the BearsThat Head Up Our Den
3Bears is a fundraiser in partnership with Gold Country Wildlife Rescue focusing on providing rehabilitative care to three bears rescued during the 2021 Dixie Fire. Since we announced our support of these three cubs, the Black Bear Community has raised $17,300 which will go toward enclosures and facility improvements. If you’d like to learn more about this project visit goldcountrywildliferescue.org
Bruce Dean
Co-founder Bruce Dean, known for his operational management and business savvy, is Black Bear Diner’s Executive Chairman. He remains passionately engaged in Black Bear Diner’s food operations and menu economics, ensuring the promise to deliver “great food, great service, and great atmosphere.”
Dean leveraged his early restaurant career to establish Black Bear Diner as a family dining power player, creating recipes for some of the brand’s most popular and best-selling menu items, and is the visionary behind our “bear-sized” portions — the commitment to deliver unrivaled comfort food value and portions to our guests.
Dean earned a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of California, Davis, and has served on the board of the California Restaurant Association as both a member and president.
Bob Manley
Bob Manley, co-founder, was instrumental in developing Black Bear Diner’s cozy, friendly atmosphere. He is a visionary, dreamer, and storyteller with a commitment to human kindness and a never-ending sense of humor that has left an indelible mark on Black Bear Diner’s culture. Manley currently serves on the Board of Directors and continues to share his passion for the brand.
Before Black Bear Diner, Manley was an educator and owned the Black Bear Gallery in Mt. Shasta, CA, and served as a wilderness guide. To this day, he wears a lucky bear claw around his neck, earned from one memorable wilderness encounter.
Manley graduated from California State University, Chico, with a degree in speech pathology.
