A Local’s Dream and A Community’s Treasure
By: Jeremy Angione | Photos By: Ashlee Glen
After years in a mix of careers in entertainment and manufacturing, local Chris Seigla decided to serve his community by opening a restaurant. Formerly Spring House Dining and Reception Hall, Seigla bought the Richmond Highway building in October and turned it into the Grinnin’ Bear Tavern.
After years of passing the building while helping with his family’s food truck, Butts Up BBQ. Seigla’s curiosity compelled him to check the place out.
After bringing his wife in to see it, he suggested they buy the building.
“Have you lost your damn mind?” she asked.
After his wife explained all the risks and considerations in owning a restaurant, Seigla decided he was still up for the challenge. The true reality check for Seigla was the amount of “red tape” involved in food service.
“That was the biggest hit for me; the amount of stuff that we had to go through just to be able to cook a hamburger and sell it to somebody,” Seigla said.
Despite the challenges, Seigla remained excited for the opportunity, describing himself as an “eternal optimist.” In preparation for their grand opening, Seigla posted a six-minute video on Facebook, introducing himself, Grinnin’ Bear, and his vision for its impact in the community. According to Seigla, the video was viewed more than 100,000 times.
Because of the unexpected exposure, Seigla says that “everything got thrown into fast forward.” Grinnin’ Bear Tavern held a grand opening March 8. In what became the saving grace for the day, Seigla and his staff approached neighbors of the business to ask for permission to have their patrons park along the road in front of their houses, if necessary.
It was necessary.
“Our grand opening was terrifying. You’ve got to be ready for 10,000 people, but you’ve also got to be ready for 100 people to show up,” Seigla said.
Despite the spacious rooms, large deck, and all the preparation Grinnin’ Bear’s team could muster, the day still proved a challenge.
“We got our butts whipped,” Seigla joked.
Fortunately, according to Seigla, patrons who did not want to bear the crowded venue during the grand opening were understanding and pledged to return another time.
“The support and encouragement that we got from the people around here and the community in general—it’s been unbelievable. I thought it would take a year to get to the point where people knew who we were, knew what we were about, and knew my face. It happened in two months,” Seigla said.
With lessons learned since opening day, Seigla and the Grinnin’ Bear are already planning events, new menus, and infrastructure updates. Chief among those updates are refreshing the decor, installing a proper HVAC system, and expanding parking to take advantage of the 5 acres of land the Grinnin’ Bear Tavern sits on.
Seigla believes the back room and deck will be key in making the tavern a full-fledged event space, with the ability to host several events simultaneously, thanks to retractable partitions throughout the large room.
According to Seigla, the Grinnin’ Bear event space has already been booked 22 times this year. As a former wedding DJ, Seigla is confident that he can show his patrons a good time.
“If I can give them a good meal and a cold beer, then I think this thing could be something really special,” Seigla said.
As a born and raised local, Seigla wants the Grinnin’ Bear to be a boon for the community and all his neighbors whenever possible. The Grinnin’ Bear staff will often bring the fire department, and even one of their elderly neighbors, food, to make sure they are taken care of.
According to Seigla, he wants to do everything from sponsoring little league teams to donating to the local Humane Society.
“We want to be a service to this community. I want to be something to people. I want these people to know, I live 2 miles up the road.
This is where I’ve been my whole life. I want people to know that we want to be a part of this for reasons other than just making money,” Seigla explained.
In accordance with their values of community, Grinnin’ Bear Tavern’s menu is full of what many would consider “comfort food.” What sets it apart, according to Seigla, is the true homemade nature of many of their dishes and their affordability.
With his mom and stepdad helping in the kitchen, Seigla is enthusiastic about the love and quality ingredients that go into Grinnin’ Bear’s simple menu. The tavern’s menu is what you might imagine a bar menu would look like, with items such as a BLT (Seigla’s favorite), mozzarella sticks, or a Philly cheesesteak. Seigla also made a point to highlight their foot-long hotdog that he says you can’t really find anywhere.
What elevates those classic food items is the commitment to making things in house. From housemade condiments to thoughtfully sourced meats, a Grinnin’ Bear Tavern meal provides guests with a generous, plate-filling portion at dive bar prices.
Every Sunday, Grinnin’ Bear offers a breakfast and lunch buffet that Seigla believes will be a staple in the community once it gains traction. According to Seigla, the Sunday buffet was a tradition at Spring House that he’d like to continue in the community.
“The stuff that we’re doing is food that you can’t just go buy anywhere. Rather than trying to do a bunch of stuff right now, let’s do 10 dishes and let’s do ’em really good,” Seigla said.
Seigla also plans to bring the tavern’s menu on the road by converting Butts Up BBQ to a Grinnin’ Bear food truck in October.
Aside from the large and varied spaces, and unique menu, the thing that makes Grinnin’ Bear Tavern the place to visit is Seigla himself.
“I’m the grinnin’ bear. I’ve got these dents on my face ’cause all I do is smile, man,” Seigla exclaimed.
Seigla recalls his time working at Paradise Lake getting paid to wear a Yogi Bear costume. Coincidentally, Seigla is also a Chicago Bears fan. Although Seigla says the name is just one he’s always liked.
“This world’s got enough problems. If for an hour of your day or week, you can come in here and you’re not worried about that stuff, that just swells my heart up,” Seigla said.
Currently, the Grinnin’ Bear Tavern is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. However, the Tavern will sometimes open for special sporting events, such as March Madness.
