TODAY’S D OWNTOWN THERMOPOLIS BLACK BEAR CAFÉ
"We serve fresh, homemade food,” Jennifer Arends said with a smile, sitting at a table in the Black Bear Café. “Nothing is frozen. Our potatoes are home fried and specially seasoned.” Black Bear Café is a family-owned restaurant specializing in downhome cooking. Jennifer and her husband, Pat, moved to Thermopolis in 2011 from Monument, Colorado to manage the business for friends who had also moved from Monument. A few years later, the couple bought the café and now run it as a family business. “It’s a lot like Cheers,” Arends explained, referring to the popular 1980’s tv series centering around a home town bar. “We are a friendly place with a lot of regulars we know by name.” The menu features all American food, “Our humongous cinnamon rolls are famous among the locals,” Arends said with well-deserved pride. “And I’ve been told our pork green chili is the best around!” Located downtown in a historic building, Black Bear Café is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 6am to 2pm, the café is a great place for all-day breakfast and lunch - especially if you just want good, home-cooked meals and to never leave hungry.
THE STORYTELLER
Ellen Reed was looking for a new adventure when she found
out the Storyteller, a bookstore and coffee shop, was for sale. “When this opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it!” she explained.
That was in August 2009 and since then, she has expanded what she sells and is always looking for new items. She enjoys visiting with her regulars and meeting visitors traveling through the area. “There’s not many options in a small town so I try to offer the things that people are looking for,” Ellen said. This includes local history books, inspirational gifts, Wyoming-made jewelry, toys and special orders. Coffee has always been the center of their bookstore although that has also evolved over time, “It was already a coffee bar and we sourced our coffee beans from elsewhere. However, my nephew had other ideas that would help us control the quality of the coffee beans.”
MERCHANT OF COMPELLING BOOKS, FINE COFFEES AND GIFTS.
Home of Jackrabbit Java Coffee
Her nephew, Josh Thomas, wanted to roast coffee beans locally and create their own unique blends. Ellen agreed to give roasting a try after they visited a coffee fest and saw it done for themselves. Jackrabbit Java was launched in December 2013 and is now an award-winning coffee brand. It is the only coffee roasted in Hot Springs County.
Located in the heart of
downtown Thermopolis
524 BROADWAY 307-864-3272
“Our house drip is rated as a superior coffee and we have won national awards through Coffee Reviews,” she said. “We take pride in knowing how to make a cup of coffee right and have had people from Italy say it was the best Macchiato they have had in America.”
@storytellerwyo @jackrabbitjava
STORYTELLERWYO.COM JACKRABBITJAVA.COM
Located in downtown Thermopolis, the Storyteller is a local hotspot and one you won’t want to miss! HotSpringsWyoming.com
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Visit Wyoming’s Favorite Hot Springs
