Meet Our Team!

 We’d like to introduce you all to Maddy. If you’ve been around Blue Bear at all in the last two years, chances are you’ve already met her, but we’d like to take this opportunity to tell you some things you may not know! Maddy is originally from Missouri, but has made quite the home for herself since moving to Wisconsin. It’s not a surprise that a part of this home is our little restaurant, as it brings together two of the things she’s most passionate about in this world, food and people. Maddy was originally drawn to Blue Bear because of our from-scratch and farm-to-table concept, but has stayed with us for so long in part because of the connections she’s made. You’d be pressed to find someone in the Blue Bear community who does not think the world of this woman. There is absolutely nothing you can throw at her that she cannot handle. She’s strong-willed, adaptive, calm in the face of chaos, and always looking to find a lesson. This brings an element to the culture of a work environment that cannot be taught or replicated. Having someone who is always looking out for everyone, and encouraging us when we might be falling a bit behind, but also checking us when we might be getting ahead of ourselves, and truly looking to make us all better is absolutely invaluable. It’s very rare to find people that care with their whole heart the way Maddy does, and this is in regard to every aspect of her life. There’s really not a way to narrow down a short list of things Maddy loves, but we feel extremely blessed to be on that list. Thank you Maddy for all you continue to bring to our little family every day, we couldn’t do it without you! 

Eli has moved up the ranks quickly in our kitchen, and at just 20 years old, has earned the position of Sous Chef! Eli has a passion for being in the kitchen, and it shows. He wants to run his own spot one day and is doing all the right things to get there. Every day he shows up ready to work, and ready to learn something new. He is a fast learner, detail oriented, and always good for a laugh (or an eye roll, depending on how bad the joke is).

In his few hours a day not in the kitchen, you can probably find him working on one of his cars or motorcycles, playing with his adorable huskies, or behind a camera. He’s an incredibly skilled photographer, and occasionally you can find his work on our Instagram! Thanks Eli for all you do every day, we truly couldn’t do it without you! 

Kayla has been with us for about six months now and has put her all into every single day since she started. Kayla has held just about every front-of-house job in the industry, including management, and her skills and ideas and contribution to our team are invaluable. You can throw her into any situation (and we have) and she’ll be sure make the most of it, and try to make sure the people around her can too! She’s direct, communicative, organized, and keeps her cool in stressful situations, all the qualities that make her so good at her favorite position in the restaurant, expo! When not at work, you can probably find her at the beach, cooking, or spending time with her loved ones. She even tries to make sure that our team makes an effort to get together more outside of work, and reminds us that, in an industry where we are known to overwork ourselves, there are more important things in life. Thank you Kayla for all you bring to the table every day, we are lucky to have you and cannot wait to see all the amazing things you’ll do!! 

Callyn found her way to us by chance, and we’re so very lucky that she did. She’s from Maine originally, but was brought to Wisconsin by her husband’s job in the Coast Guard! She’s personable and skilled enough to get pretty much any job she could possibly want, but she was drawn to us for the same reason so many of you are, the food! She’s been all-in since the day she came on board, she shows up every day with the intention of giving guests an incredible experience, making sure our flowers, which have really become her flowers, are looking pristine, and is constantly thinking of ways to make us better. As a team we aren’t sure what we enjoy more, her work ethic or her sense of humor, but she doesn’t disappoint with either!

If there was one word to describe Callyn it would be busy. During the shift she’s always looking for things to do, and her favorite thing, is being “in the weeds” as we say, which translates to crazy busy. 

Out of work, she’s always doing projects (or giving projects to her husband with the assistance of their adorable children) and since she typically had one free night a week, she has since filled it by being the Blue Bear hair stylist. On average she’s had one of us over to her house every week to cut, style, dye, you name it, and it’s just one more thing she amazes us with. Her dream job is either to own her open salon one day or be a stand up comedian, and if you were to poll the Blue Bear staff on which she’d be better at, I’m not sure there’d be a clear winner. The point is, this girl can do it all, and we’re so thankful that she chooses to do it with us! In honor of her Staff Spotlight, we’ve put her signature cocktail on the menu for the week! Come in and give it a try, and experience for yourself all the things she impresses us with! (well almost all, we do ask that she leave the hair styling out of the restaurant)