Mama Bear’s: Nouveau Riche

Mother/daughter duo Stephanie Brodt and Tori Holloway have transformed Mama Bear’s Bakery & Cafe over the past few months by expanding the menu, hours and baked goods being offered. (Photo by Carly Lyon)

With the word “new” starting to lose its luster by late January, the French term “nouveau riche” — newly rich — seems the perfect substitute to describe Mama Bear’s Bakery & Cafe, located at 10110 Brooks School Road. Under the helm of mother/daughter partner-owners Stephanie Brodt and Tori Holloway, Mama Bear’s is all dressed up with fashionable seating and decor; freshly prepared coffee drinks, salads and sandwiches; and, most notably, a bakery case housing a bounty of goodies, best described as, well … RICH!

The subtle changes have been unfolding since the ladies took over the bakery in late October 2013, but they are ready to unleash their changes to a fertile marketplace ripe and ready for what they have to offer.

“Mama Bear’s has a history at Geist. People have fond memories of time spent here. What we want to bring to Mama Bear’s is simply the next step in its history, but giving customers a great, memorable experience. We want to be a place that feels like home to all those who visit,” Brodt says.

The interior of Mama Bear’s is still rustic, but has been enhanced with trendy furnishings, lighting and accessories.

Brodt’s “yin” of this partnership comes from her years of training and expertise as a barista at a coffee shop on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University, and she has already added new espresso and coffee machines, coffees, and teas, as well as delicious new hot and cold drinks to the evolving business. Specially customized birthday cakes, wedding cakes, cupcakes and desserts are now lovingly made available by the “yang” of the equation, Holloway, whose home-based bakery business outgrew the capacity of her own small kitchen. Now with commercial-grade appliances and meeting space, she is eager to meet with future customers to discuss event needs, peruse designs and even plan to sample the various flavor offerings. What event wouldn’t be made better with baked goods fabricated with a little extra love and detail provided by a local baker with the old, familiar name of Mama Bear’s?

Evening hours are also in effect, with the espresso machine hissing until 8 p.m. nightly. And the much neglected and often forgotten drive-up window has been dusted off and is ready for call-ahead orders from the freshly printed carryout menus or for just the regular drive-up traffic.

Brodt and Holloway aim to have a reciprocal relationship with their new Geist neighbors and want to get to know the families, schools and businesses that make this warm and unique community thrive.

“We originally were not looking to buy an existing shop. We were going to start from scratch, but after meeting with the previous owners and meeting the current customers, we realized that Mama Bear’s already had that great community feeling that we were seeking. We want to be involved in events happening around us and provide for you as we continue to learn and build and grow,” says Brodt.

So if you have shied away from Mama Bear’s for fear of the “same old, same old” stuff, come back in and try not just what is new but what is nouveau riche — items that will enrich your palate one coffee bean, one warm cinnamon roll and one handcrafted birthday cake at a time.

HIGHLIGHTS

New business hours:

  • Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Try their:

  • Soup, salad and sandwich combos
  • Custom designed cakes
  • Cinnamon rolls baked daily

Don’t forget:

  • Drive-up window
  • Call-ahead lunch/dinner menu

Phone number: 317-598-9663

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