History
The Bear Pit’s history began in the late 1940’s, when original owner Ben Baier started a small barbecue shack in Newhall, California. In a small building on the side of a church in the dusty town north of Los Angeles, Baier used his cooking knowledge from his years in Kansas City, Missouri to develop his unique barbecue sauce and slow cooking methods.
After several years the popularity of his food spread, so he decided to move to the northern San Fernando Valley town of Dennis Park (later Mission Hills) and start a small take-out restaurant. He partnered with Don Carrow (of Carrow’s Restaurant fame) and had country singer Tennessee Ernie Ford as an early endorser of his food.
He built the small building at 10825 Sepulveda Boulevard, which had been part of the Ackerman family farm since the 1930’s. He build a brick oven, called a pit, and used local nut woods to slow smoke beef, pork, spareribs and chicken. His unusual vinegar-based coleslaw and sweet barbecue bean recipe became the backbone of his menu.
As the San Fernando Valley grew from being an agricultural community to a major city, the Bear Pit grew along with it. In the late 50’s, a dining room was built enclosing the original building.
Mr. Baier died suddenly in the early 1960’s, and the restaurant was sold to Ruben and Bea Gordon. The Gordon’s expanded the restaurant, adding the back dining room and patio. The Bear Pit became a landmark in the Valley, so Gordon built two more Bear Pit restaurants in Canoga Park and Glendale.
In 1976, the Gordon’s decided to retire, so they sold the chain to Burton and Shirley Schatz, veteran restaurant operators. The Schatz’s kept the original recipes, but added many new items, such as barbecue turkey, beef back ribs, french fries and especially Shirley’s New Fashioned barbecue sauce. Her own invention, Shirley’s sauce was an immediate hit, and became almost as popular as the original.
By 1988, the Schatz’s decided to retire and put the restaurant up for sale. Their son, Andrew, who was in the music business, believed that the restaurant was a landmark that should stay in the family, and purchased it in December, 1988. The Bear Pit has been in continuous operation ever since!
Special note: This history was compiled from many conversations with ex-employees, especially the late Pauline Cunningham, who was an employee and manager from 1965 to 1991. Mrs. Cunningham was an integral part of the restaurant’s success, as typified by many customers assuming that she was the owner of the restaurant. The Schatz’s never challenged that assumption!
