about us
The Great Bear continues the venerable tradition of the coffeehouse-- as a place to enjoy your favorite caffeinated (or not) beverage, a light bite, and to share conversation or work in the company of others.
The Bear was built in 1991 by the Van Epps family. We've been roasting our own coffee on-site since the beginning. We offer a well-honed selection of coffee beans, mostly blends and several varietals, all top quality and super-fresh. The very first roaster at the Great Bear was trained by Alfred Peet-- yes, that Mr. Peet-- but we never roasted quite as dark as he liked. We have our own blends and flavor profiles, at very reasonable prices.
At the Great Bear we make our espresso drinks in the old ''bohemian'' North Beach style-- strong, with creamy uncomplicated foam. We love to serve a cappuccino in a porcelain cup: it's so delicious that way and fun to swirl the foam about.
We have a large hot tea menu as well as a nice selection of ice teas which we brew strong and chill, serving them very cold. Our Organic Jasmine Ice Tea is wonderful. Also in the ''Cold'' category, we offer a very strong and rich Ice Coffee, which we cold-brew.
The Chocolate Coffee Cream is our most famous drink, concocted of chocolate, ice cream and coffee extract, topped with real whipped cream. People go ga-ga over the CCC.
If you are hungry, we offer a nice selection of quality sweet and savory items including veggie lasagna, breakfast burritos, blueberry muffins, vegan chocolate cupcakes-- you get the idea.
Great Bear Coffee Company
