A Social Solution: Bear City Social
Story by Emily Basanese
Photography by Hugo Martinez
With a bright teal exterior emblazoned with a bear holding produce, the Bear City Social food truck is hard to miss. The mascot was inspired by the town of Los Osos, Spanish for “the bears.” And the embraced veggies reference the food truck’s slogan, “Farm-to-Street Scratch Kitchen.” From chicken tikka skewers to fire pit paella and street tacos, the menu that Owners Shaun and Meghan Behrens offer is as delicious as it is diverse. Breaking out of the traditional kitchen required not only a leap of faith, but partnerships with other local businesses, too.
Shaun’s culinary career began at a local mom-and-pop pizza joint, where everything was made from scratch. Not only did he love the process, he loved the people. “I had a natural, instinctual hospitality piece within me — I like to see people happy,” he says. Shaun continued working in restaurants while attending school to become an architect. The late night shifts in the kitchen aren’t conducive to studying, however, and ultimately he decided to pursue the greater of his passions: food.
Drawn to the melting pot of cultures that influence cuisine, Shaun moved to San Francisco and enrolled in culinary school. “I can eat my way through it, work my way through it, learn my way through it,” he says, reflecting on his experience in the city. And that was only the beginning of his adventures. He followed his culinary passions to Los Olivos, then to Portland, and to a bed and breakfast in Mendocino, where his desire to bring people together was reinforced. “I can do more than just cook the food — hospitality is very important to me,” says Shaun.
Eventually he dropped in on his grandparents in the Pacific Northwest for a well-deserved reprieve from the long hours of working as a chef. They were homesteaders and the gold standard for the farm-to-table movement. “They really inspired me to create a program that fed my soul; I’ve always been searching for something like that.”
Armed with a refreshed perspective and a wealth of experience, Shaun returned home to San Luis Obispo County. He became the co-creator of a 50-seat bistro called Luna Red, which is still a staple restaurant in Downtown San Luis Obispo. There, he was able to apply the layers of experience he’d garnered to his own program. “I fell on my face a lot,” Shaun jokes. After all the lessons learned over the years, it seemed like smooth sailing from there until something sinister happened: COVID-19.
In the early days of the pandemic, Luna Red had to strip down its staff for three months. “I was there alone making really unique tamales, soups; whatever was comfortable for people, we were making.” But Shaun missed interacting with customers and having fun with staff. Slowly, he was able to bring back some of his team and work within COVID guidelines to serve customers. During that time in the compact Luna Red kitchen, Shaun looked around and thought to himself, “This is about the size of a food truck.” That’s when the wheels literally started to turn for his next venture.
Faced with months of social distancing and isolation, Shaun wanted to create the antithesis of the antisocial practices born out of the virus. “That’s what drove our menu — being social,” he says. That first year, Shaun started building his business through partnerships with local connections and saying yes to every opportunity. He catered for water polo teams, created a taco bar for a nonprofit organization and even baked pies for a local pub. Soon, Bear City Social was cultivating its own valuable network among breweries, wineries and local businesses. One of its first partnered events was at Claiborne & Churchill Winery in San Luis Obispo. “They were sold on our smashburger,” Shaun recalls.
Angela Gloeckler, the winery’s General Manager, remembers the evening’s theme being astronomy night. “We don’t have a commercial kitchen so we love getting to work with other members of our community,” says Angela, noting that the first event was such a hit, Bear City Social has been invited back countless times. “Shaun always has a new menu and the members have confidence in it because of the fresh, local ingredients. He has built that rapport!” This mutually beneficial partnership enables both hosts to achieve their shared goal: happy customers.
Chamisal Vineyards has also collaborated with Bear City Social for food and wine pairings. “They represent the finest farm-to-street cuisine in our community, and we bring high quality cool climate wines from San Luis Obispo to the table,” says Winemaker Brianne Engles.
“Bear City Social brings the very best locally sourced and socially inspired foods, making for an ideal pairing with our wines.”
Shaun has created in Bear City Social a real-life social network, where coming together is rewarded with booming business and meaningful relationships.
