Bear’s Beans & Bagels in Umatilla is one-upping the coffee competition, taking flavor to a whole new level with signature lattes like the Purple Unicorn (lavender and honey), Mac Attack (white chocolate and macadamia nut) and RasBeary Cheesecake (white chocolate, raspberry, and almond). You won’t find these at most other coffee shops.

Co-owners Bear — yes, that’s his real name — and Mel Crockett have hit the sweet spot, delivering exactly what Umatilla has been waiting for.

The idea for the shop started with Bear’s family roots. His grandfather Patrick O’Dare ran a commercial coffee business for decades, supplying offices and businesses across Central Florida.

“Coffee was always just a topic of discussion for our family,” Bear says.

Bagels also played a role in that family connection. Bear and his grandfather often visited a bakery in DeLand that served fresh bagels. Over the years, the two would trade photos and text messages whenever one of them found a particularly good bagel. 

After his grandfather passed away, Bear kept thinking about those moments and saw an opportunity to bring something similar to Umatilla. Coffee and bagels, he realized, aren’t just about flavor, they are about creating a place where people can gather, talk and make their own memories, just as he had with his grandfather.

Fun fact: Some of Bear’s grandfather’s flyers are on display by the register. 

When a friend who owned a building in Umatilla approached him about available space, Bear immediately thought of combining those two passions. 

“Coffee shops here were either a diner style or a quiet place to read a book,” he says. “I wanted something fun and exciting, something that showed our personality.”

Bear’s wife Mel had recently shifted from working in the optometry field to doing accounting from home, which gave her the flexibility to take on the shop’s day-to-day operations. 

“I run most of the daily side of things,” Mel says. “We’re fortunate to have a great group of girls who make my life so much easier.”

In February 2023, the couple began transforming what had been a tea supply store into a spunky, retro space. 

The response was immediate when Bears, Beans & Bagels opened in July. The first few weeks saw lines out the door, prompting a quick expansion to add a kitchen and more storage in the back of the building. 

The shop sources its bagels from a local commercial bakery, favoring fresh, Florida-made products over importing from elsewhere. 

“I took a stance of Florida bagels for Florida people,” Bear says. “We don’t try to be a New York bagel shop. We do it our way.” 

Customer favorites include “Mel’s Way,” a jalapeño cheddar bagel with sausage, cream cheese and hot sauce, as well as three different cheese bagels and classic breakfast sandwiches. There’s even a gluten-free option, along with classic toppings like peanut butter and jelly, avocado spread and cream cheese. 

On the coffee side, specialty lattes lead the way, with popular choices like the peanut butter cup, caramel apple macchiato, peppermint patty, coconut cream pie, thumb print cookie, S’mores and seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice. They also offer cold brew and drip brew.

For those who want more, the 32-ounce “Grizzly” size has become a surprising choice for those needing their caffeine fix in one drink. They do advertise to “support your local caffeine dealer.”

“It’s a lot of latte,” Bear says. “We even did a post showing our smallest barista holding one next to our smallest drink and people loved it.”

They also make their own refreshers, with colorful flavors like Umatilla sunset, Florida peach, mermaid water, pink flamingo, swamp water and guava mama. 

Bears, Beans & Bagels also puts an emphasis on community involvement. The shop has sponsored local events, provided free drinks to teachers on the first day of school and taken its staff on outings like medieval-themed dinners and skating nights. 

“We’re like one big family,” Mel says. “It’s been fun to see our younger employees grow, and even though we’re sad to lose them when they move on, it’s great to see them start careers.”

Steady growth of the business has Bear thinking about the future. “Ideally, I’d like to get a second location and eventually franchise. I think this is something we could really do well.”

For now, the Crocketts remain focused on keeping their Umatilla location thriving by maintaining the energy and quality that makes it a local favorite. 

“The support from the community has been great,” Bear says. “We’re very humbled by it.” 

Photos: Cindy Peterson