Just in time for a sweet Valentine's Day treat, ice cream sandwich shop The Baked Bear is opening its first San Francisco location this Saturday, at 2824 Jones St. in Fisherman's Wharf. Even better, all of its ice cream sandwiches are free from 2-5pm that day.
As we reported back in November, co-owner Joseph Halloum hopes to open a Baked Bear in the former Giordano Bros. at 303 Columbus Ave. in North Beach. However, in December we learned that his first location of Baked Bear, which was founded by his friends Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger in southern California in 2013, would actually open at the Wharf.
This outpost is located in a food concession trailer, but has outdoor seating for 20. Hours are still in flux, but will likely be 11am–9pm, according to a press release.
The Halloum family will run both businesses. "My wife, mother, sisters and brothers are all involved in this family business, to ensure that the entire Baked Bear customer experience is a great one," Halloum said in the release.
Baked Bear's sandwiches are fully customizable. Customers are asked to choose a sandwich top and bottom (cookie, brownie, or donut), one of eight flavors of ice cream, and a topping from about 10 options (including sprinkles, chocolate chips, and Fruity Pebbles). There are currently six cookie options, with more on the way, and sandwiches can also be hot-pressed.
There's also a "Bear Bowl" (a scoop of ice cream in a warm chocolate chip cookie or brownie bowl), a hot fudge sundae and a root beer float, or ice cream by the cup, cone or waffle cone. Cookies and brownies can be purchased individually, too. Nothing is priced over $6.
Here's the full lineup of flavors, from the press release:
The baked items will be made from scratch on a daily basis from original recipes using locally sourced ingredients and fresh eggs and butter. Debut cookie flavors will include chocolate chip, cookies and cream, funfetti, snickerdoodle, white chocolate macadamia and a “cookie of the month” such as lemon bar, mint chip, strawberry cheesecake or toffee walnut fudge (will be announced on Facebook at the beginning of each month).
The Baked Bear creates its own premium craft ice cream that is creamy and rich and made with the highest quality ingredients. Debut ice cream flavors will include birthday cake, butter pecan, cookies and cream, cookie dough, mint chip, rocky road, salted caramel, and vanilla. In the works is a custom signature ice cream flavor, to be called Bear Batter.
As for the potential North Beach location, we inquired about an estimated opening date, but a spokesperson declined to comment. Halloum has applied for a beer and wine license there, which is still pending; he told us back in November that he'd like to sell dessert wines at that location.
