Humans,
This summer was a transformative one for your favorite bear family in so many ways. We recently capped a lengthy road trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska to visit some old friends and family. These bears are starting to achieve a little fame of their own with the success of the hit reality show 'Bear Cam.' If you happened to be tuned in at the right time, you may have even seen a cameo by Osa, Osito and me! Alaska was stunning as always, and the days provided a peace and quiet lacking from our typical fast-paced world in the kitchen and feeding humans. At night, we'd all gather around the campfire for s'mores and storytime - just a big bear family in the woods.
The stories shared by our native bear brethren hit us like a ton of bricks. They spoke of the battle for mere survival, of the intense struggle for food and safety in an ever changing environment. We were soon joined by other species and they told of similar conflict in the new harsher world. It was heartbreaking, and we couldn't help but think of our place in all of this. As bears with the special gift of being able to cook and bring humans together around a dinner table, are we making enough of an impact in the world?
Since 2011, Cow by Bear has been bringing humans of all types together with our unique dining experiments. That's been our thing, and it's been an absolute honor to share it with you. The friends we've made along the way and the relationships forged at our table make our bear hearts sing. But all good things must either come to an end or change. After our trip to Alaska it became clear to us that we have an opportunity to do more; for bears, for humans, for all living things, for nature, for the world. That's why, after very careful consideration and even a mini-hibernation to clear our minds, we have decided to conclude the Cow by Bear dinner party experience in both San Diego and Seattle at the end of the year.
As we move forward in 2019 our focus will shift to larger, yet more intimate and less frequent, one-of-a-kind experiences. These events will of course continue to bring people together around the table, but also incorporate nature, play, philanthropy and service. We feel this next chapter will take our experiences to another level while creating opportunities to make this larger impact that really matters more than anything else. How can we dance when our world is burning?
While still in early planning stages, discussions with the National Park Service and the Five Kingdom Alliance about a series of special events has us feeling inspired about the possibilities for this next phase. Please stay tuned and watch this space for further announcements!
As for the rest of 2018 and the final days of this current incarnation of Cow by Bear, we hope so much to have the good fortune of spending an evening with you all. If you're a long-time friend or Cub Club member, please come see us one more time before the end of the year. If you've always wanted to attend a Cow by Bear dinner, now is the time! Planning a holiday party or special event? It would be our privilege to host you. These final dinners are going to be special and we fancy to see as many of you as possible!
Thank you all so much for the unbelievable support you've provided Cow by Bear over the years. This has been an incredible 7-year run, and we only have you to thank for that. This may be the end of one era, but in many ways we feel we're just getting started. We can't wait to see what the future holds and hope you'll stay along with us for the ride.
With love,
Bear, Osa & Osito.