Bear’s Bakery on the Upper West Side is now officially kosher—and there’s more to it than Earl Grey scones

Bear’s Bakery began as part of a school expansion, as the Manhattan Childrens Center wanted a café where students could learn to work in a business that served the neighborhood. That café is now a bakery at 715 Columbus Avenue, where the breakfast sandwich comes on a honey biscuit and challah is sold on Fridays. And YeahThatsKosher now reports that National Kosher Supervision has certified the shop as kosher dairy. Hurrah!

When plans for the bakery surfaced in 2024, the idea was for students to help run the café with guidance from educators. The school serves students with autism and related developmental disabilities, and the bakery says its training extends to people in the wider neurodiverse community as well. The location makes the idea concrete: the school could teach bakery skills in a classroom, but a shop on Columbus Avenue gives people a chance to learn what it takes to serve customers in a working business and that setup will remain as-is.

As for menu details: the egg and cheese on that honey biscuit is $9, there’s a $4 Earl Grey scone if you’re stopping in for coffee, and the bread pudding comes by the slice for $5. If you’re making a Friday stop, the bakery sells individual challah rolls as well as full loaves.

There’s more: from a bread pudding loaf to a gluten-free granola bag, all sorts of cookies and muffins and traditional coffee drinks. And when you become a fan, you’ll likely want to invest in some merch: the tote runs $25 and the mug will cost you $16. You can always opt for a $1 sticker to show your support.

Welcome to the kosher club, Bear’s!