Polar Bear Eats prepares to open in Preston
A local favorite, the Polar Bear drive-in opened in 1952 in Preston, Idaho. The family-owned business started out offering hot dogs and drinks but quickly expanded to become a hometown hero. Eighteen years after its closing, the ’50s themed restaurant has been reimagined and is set to open on Nov. 3.
Polar Bear Eats comes back to life after Preston local, Sawyer Hemsley, came up with the idea and received support from former owners Steve and Dixie Larsen.
The dining destination committed to the community for 53 years and left a lasting impact. Hemsley, CEO of Hemsley Ventures and co-founder of Crumbl Cookies, has said he is committed to revitalizing Preston. Reopening a favorite restaurant is just the first step in doing so.
The updated design encourages patrons to reflect on what once was and create new memories with their friends and family. Similar to the original walk-up-window diner, the reimagined restaurant will not offer an indoor dining room. Customers will be able to order from the walk-up window, the parking lot, through a drive-through window or even online for delivery.
Ashley Burton, chief of staff for Hemsley Ventures, said they have a small team but they are excited to see their dream finally come to life. The idea originated as Hemsley reflected with his parents on fond childhood memories at the restaurant. After reaching out to the Larsen family, Hemsley Ventures bought the rights, name and recipes to the business.
“We worked alongside them to bring it back, and they were really excited,” Burton said. “I think what’s really cool about Sawyer is he went about it the right way. He’s bringing back something so nostalgic because it’s not just a cool burger — we are bringing back the original burger.”
The restaurant will honor old recipes while also bringing new additions to the menu. A staple on the menu, then and now, are onion fries. According to Burton, the team was able to source the same sour cream and onion fries so they will “literally be the exact same.”
“We’re hoping to bring back even more amazing flavors. We brought in some of the Preston locals to come try during our taste testing, and Dan Keller, the mayor of Preston, took a bite and said, ‘This is better than the original.’ That just made us so excited because with a lot of our flavors, we hoped to match the original or be better,” Burton said.
The new eatery has quickly gained a following on social media since its first announcement in July 2022. Burton said the local response has been more than they hoped for with more than a thousand participants interested in attending the grand opening.
“People are passionate about the brand, which I love because, to me, that means that they’re going to be like loyal customers. They remember the brand from when they were kids. The community is 100% supportive, and it’s so exciting,” she said.
In addition to the classics, the restaurant will also offer a limited-time menu where one new item is offered each week — a nod to Hemsley’s most well-known business venture, Crumbl Cookies, which introduces new cookies each week. The first week will showcase the BLT. The coming week’s item will be announced each Sunday.
Other options on the menu include burgers with two cheese options, grilled cheese, corn dogs, chicken tenders and their famous shakes, coming in “just about any flavor you can imagine.” For early customers, the breakfast menu will include burritos, sandwiches, coffee and hot chocolate in the winter months.
The team broke ground in April with hopes of launching in the summer. Burton says a lot went into the creation, more than they had anticipated. From architectural plans to website design, the intricate planning pushed their grand opening back to the end of fall.
“We can blame it on a lot of construction and all this stuff, but the reality is like, the best quality sometimes just takes time,” Burton said. “We just want to make sure when we open that we are 100% ready and excited.”
The Polar Bear Eats team is excited to bring back Preston’s finest, feeding everyone in the area and beyond.
The restaurant will open at 11 a.m. for the grand opening on Nov. 3 and 4. The event will include face painting, live bands, swag and more for customers to enjoy as they taste the menu.
For more information, visit polarbeareats.co/