Officials of the City of Signal Hill and representatives of the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the grand opening of Black Bear Diner on July 25.
Staff Writer
The grand opening of Black Bear Diner in Signal Hill last week (July 25) was a festive occasion. City and chamber of commerce officials joined restaurant management in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and then entered the 120-seat eatery where they were treated to breakfast on the house. The diner is located in the building formerly occupied by Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant on Willow Street near Cherry Avenue.
Jolisa Johnson, Black Bear Diner Corporation’s director of marketing, came down from northern California for opening day, and she talked a little about the history of the company during the event. “Our founders, Bob and Laurie Manley, and their partner Bruce Dean opened the first Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta California in 1995,” she said. “Their goal was to create a family-friendly, fun environment where people could get good old-fashioned family food at a reasonable price.”
Johnson explained that in a very short time, the first restaurant became very popular among locals and tourists, so the three partners decided to expand to other locations. She added that since 1995, the company has experienced phenomenal growth. “Currently, we have 52 restaurants in nine states,” she said. “Most of our locations are owned by franchisees, but this store is one of our three corporate-owned locations. The other two are in Davis and Modesto, California.” She added that the Manleys own the Mt. Shasta franchise and Dean owns the Redding franchise.
The Signal Hill diner is the company’s first in Southern California. “We took a look around and discovered that this region offers a good opportunity for us because there are not many family-friendly dining concepts here,” she said. “We also decided that the Long Beach-Signal Hill area is a great community for us to open our first Southern California venture.” She noted that the company specializes in converting already existing restaurant facilities into Black Bear Diners. The former Bob’s Big Boy, close to the 405 Freeway and on a main arterial street that crosses many busy boulevards, is an ideal location, she added.
Ron Sear, general manager of the new diner, said he is pleased by the way Signal Hill city officials worked to make the permitting process easy. “They were very accommodating,” he said. “The time frame for getting our permits was much shorter than we have experienced elsewhere.” He added that from the day the decision was made to open in Signal Hill to the grand opening was about six months.
Eric Strong, assistant general manager, noted that the Los Angeles County Department of Health also inspected the restaurant and granted the necessary county permits. “That process went smoothly too,” he said. “We and the health department were on the same page from day one.”
Sear and Strong were part of the management team in the Davis Black Bear Diner until a few months ago. Both of them recently moved to this area. Johnson still lives in northern California. The company’s corporate headquarters is in Redding, California.
“We are really happy to be here for the grand opening of the Black Bear Restaurant, and we are happy to have them here,” said Signal Hill Vice Mayor Mike Noll. “This is a nice family restaurant, which is important for our city.”
Signal Hill City Manager Ken Farfsing agreed. “The Black Bear will provide good variety for Signal Hill and Long Beach residents,” he said, adding that there is every indication that the restaurant will enjoy success.
“I am really proud to have Black Bear open their corporate store here in Signal Hill,” said Signal Hill Councilmember Larry Forester. “I look forward to it having a huge success, and I am going to be eating here a lot.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was at 10am, but by 11:00 the restaurant was packed. Terry Rogers, president of the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce, said she was not surprised that so many people came on opening day because the restaurant already has a good reputation. “I am so excited that we have a new, mom-and-pop style restaurant in our area,” she added. “I know that their home-style cooking will be loved by many, many people.”
Rogers’ prediction seemed to be true even on opening day.
“I had the most incredible breakfast today,” said Eileen Gelso, Long Beach resident and owner of The Great Plate Catering Company. “The steak was juicy and absolutely delicious, and the service was outstanding.”
Alma Pineda, a Lakewood resident, agreed. “The food was great,” she said. “It’s wonderful that they offer low-cal options, and I definitely will be coming back.”
“I appreciated very much the willingness of the servers to get my food exactly the way I like it,” added Judie Johnson, a Signal Hill resident. “I will recommend this restaurant to all my friends.”
“I am very pleased with the turnout, and I am very pleased with the staff,” Sear said. “We are employing 106 people, and every one of them contributes to the quality of food and service that we provide to our customers.”
According to Sear, the restaurant normally does not take reservations for tables or for group events, but exceptions might be made during off-peak hours. Sear added that he fully expects the new diner to enjoy the same popularity as all other Black Bear Diners. “We are looking forward to moving forward in Signal Hill and in other locations in the LA basin,” he said.
Black Bear Diner serves breakfast at all hours. Its menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner items as well as a variety of desserts.
Black Bear Diner is located at 1898 Willow St., between Cherry and Walnut avenues. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 6am to 10pm; and Friday through Saturday from 6am to 11pm.
