Black Bear Diner in Olympia: 'We try to make it feel like it's home'

A West Coast diner chain has returned to Thurston County, bringing heavy helpings of food and a homey cabin feel to its customers.

Black Bear Diner opened at 3425 Pacific Ave SE in Olympia in early September, taking the place of the former Shari’s Diner. 

Black Bear Diner is furnished with rustic elements, such as exposed wood, bear-themed signs, pine garlands, and red and gold ornaments for the holidays, along with the diner’s signature carved bears both inside and outside of the restaurant.

Local artists make the bears that greet customers outside of the entrance. The bears at the Olympia location were created by Washington resident Ray Schulz, who has made more than 200 wooden bears for the diner company since 1999.

He purchases cedar logs from private loggers in Washington, and each bear is carved to reflect the unique style from the area in which the restaurant is located. There’s also a jukebox inside, as well as a classic diner bar counter for customers to sit at, a display case showing the fresh-baked pies, and many booths and tables in the hexagonal building.

Each location has its own unique feel, with no specific blueprint for the layout of the building and often taking over locations of other previous businesses.  

The chain started 30 years ago in Mount Shasta, California, and has expanded along the West Coast. Danny Banwait, the owner, and Chris Spenhoff, director of operations, said this will be their seventh Black Bear Diner.

The local pair also operated the previous Black Bear Diner in west Olympia, which closed when the lease was up. It’s common to see regulars who used to come to the previous location at the new one on Pacific Avenue, and business has been great so far. There are almost 50 employees at the diner in Olympia. 

“We try to make it feel like it's home,” Banwait said. “We greet them and offer them drinks. As we do when people come into our house, we make sure the house is clean before guests walk in. Offer them dessert and ‘thank you’ for coming.” 

The food

“High quality food items, big portions at a reasonable price,” is how Spenhoff described the business. “It’s an old-style diner with good food," he said.

 Black Bear Diner serves traditional American comfort food, with large portions — usually enough for leftovers. Almost all desserts are made daily in-house, Spenhoff said. The restaurant hosts customers of all ages, business meetings, and even an occasional wedding reception.  

The restaurant has a big menu, which comes on a folded newspaper that details Black Bear’s history, with sections that organize each type of cuisine. Breakfast is served all day, and a handful of certain dinner items are only available after 4 p.m.

Meatloaf and pot roast are popular menu items, but the sweet cream pancakes are the most popular item, Spenhoff said. His favorite menu item is the chicken fried steak, while Banwait’s is the chicken avocado club. The gigantic biscuits are also popular for breakfast, and the diner offers fish and chips on Fridays. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is one of the restaurant’s drink highlights, and the chocolate cream pie is often chosen for dessert.  

The diner is open every day of the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, with special holiday menu items like turkey, ham and prime rib.

Black Bear is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week, and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Each meal time is similarly busy, said Banwait, but holidays are usually extra busy.

People traveling up and down the West Coast recognize the diner and often stop along their journey for a good familiar meal.  

“With it being comfort food, when it gets cold and rainy out people are looking for that,” Spenhoff said.