The Grumpy Bear Trading Post & Eatery To Host Inaugural Small Business Shopping Weekend
When Melanie Collins first set eyes on the corner building at Main and Broad Street in Toronto, she didn’t yet know what it would become - but she knew it was special. “We had the opportunity to buy a building we absolutely loved,” she recalls. “I wanted to find something to do with it that would truly help the community.”
That spark of possibility became The Grumpy Bear Trading Post & Eatery, which unveils this Friday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. with hot drinks, popcorn and the Christmas window unveiling. Consumers are encouraged to join the inaugural event with a small business shopping weekend from 6-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The holiday season however, will begin on Thursday, Nov. 27, from 5-8 p.m. as they host free-will Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Everyone is welcome.
Opening the Grumpy Bear wasn’t Melanie’s first entrepreneurial adventure—far from it. Known affectionately as a “serial entrepreneur,” she and her husband, Mitchell, already owned several businesses before taking on this project.
The name “Grumpy Bear” has its own origin story. Melanie laughed as she explains: “My husband is always supportive, but he gets a little grumpy when my next big idea means he has a lot of work to do. He’s 100% on board—but he’d also like to watch football once in a while instead of repainting something for me.”
Together, the couple runs: Collins and Associates Real Estate Professionals in Wichita, where Melanie serves as broker/owner over 25 agents; Red Door Properties, a Wichita-based property management company handling both their properties and those owned by others; Split Rock Retreat, a five-cabin getaway on the lake in Toronto Melanie and Mitchell’s first Toronto investment and the one that made them fall in love with the community; An investment company holding commercial and residential properties across Woodson and Sedgwick counties.
Since opening on July 4th during Toronto Days, the Grumpy Bear has expanded. The Collins family recently took over the adjoining restaurant space at 106 Main Street, launching The Grumpy Bear Eatery. Both the Trading Post and the Eatery now operate with consistent public hours: Tuesday–Thursday: Noon – 7 p.m.; Friday: Noon – 9 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday: Noon – 5 p.m.; Monday: Closed or open by appointment.
F r iday ni g h t s feature small-town classics—hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and a rotating weekly dinner special—while Saturdays include a popular brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Melanie’s introduction to Toronto came in 2022, when one of her real estate agents suggested she visit the community. It didn’t take long for both Melanie and Mitchell to feel at home.
“We quickly made friends and loved the area,” she says. Soon after, they purchased their first lake house—and the rest is history. Their ongoing development of Split Rock Retreat (www. splitrockretreat.com) and now the Grumpy Bear has made the couple an integral part of the community’s growth.
“We want the Grumpy Bear to be a gathering place,” Melanie shares. “A place where everyone feels at home.”
