The Bear's Foundation

Bear’s Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2020 by Bear’s Smokehouse LLC. The Foundation seeks to further the restaurant group’s mission of serving the communities in which they are located and raising awareness to important issues affecting society on local and national levels. Such issues include mental health, equity, animal welfare, and conservation of natural resources and protection of wildlife. It's primary initiative, Linked4Life, focuses on raising mental health awareness especially in the Food and Beverage industry.

Our Story

In 2019, the Bear’s Foundation launched Linked4Life as a direct response for connection and community following the loss of a member of the Bear’s team to suicide. The Linked4Life initiative encourages honest conversations around mental health and dismantles the stigma often associated with it. Discussing mental health is not always easy; for this reason, Linked4Life offers a variety of events that bring people together through art, music, and food, complemented by resources and local partners that provide essential mental health services.