Bear & Bean Café

In a time where we only look straight ahead, Bear & Bean is a café that’s forcing you to shift your focus. Look to the ceiling and you’ll see over 40 boards decorated with illustrations by family, staff and friends spanning the length of the venue.
“My kids have done a few bits on there, their names are up there and there are things that are relevant to the family and to each one of us,” part-owner Lauren Sault says.
“We had a mum and two kids and it was really quiet, so they were looking at the roof and so I said try to find Wally, and they were busy trying to find him for a while. So it’s been a real talking point as well.”
Aside from the entertainment that rests above, children can also be entertained by the blackboard at the back of the café, though – with kids of her own – Lauren didn’t want for Bear & Bean to become a kids play den, instead a place where families – and individuals alike – can come and enjoy a meal without the experience being tarnished.
The venue itself ticks all the boxes for a successful café; there’s a comfortable brown leather suite to the right for those wanting some time to relax, aged brick walls, old exposed timber beams above and a fresh take on a green wall.
Sift through the menu and you’ll find plenty of healthy options with many catering to those with allergies and dietary requirements. There’s even a bit of Lauren and her family thrown in the mix with her Middle eastern lamb tabbouleh salad – a favourite from home – and her daughter’s Vegemite and cheese toastie on the menu.
“We have a point of difference in that we’re not just a café, we’re not trying to be really fancy about it – we’ve even got a sausage roll on the menu which is great if you’re coming in with your partner. But then you can have the pumpkin quinoa salad. Our menu covers the bases of all sorts of people and what they’d like to eat,” she says.
There’s a definite family vibe of the venue and that isn’t at all surprising as Bear & Bean is a family owned business (Lauren owns it with brother Trav Beckley). For anyone who sets foot in the venue, you’re immediately treated like a distant cousin, making it a café that can easily become your regular.
37 Little Ryrie St (In Carpark), Geelong
Open: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm
Written & photographed by Amanda Sherring