Today we’d like to introduce you to Ceris Christopher.
Hi Ceris, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Ceris Christopher; I’m 45 yrs. old. I have 6 dogs and 1 cat. Married to my very own mountain man and have a pretty amazing bonus daughter. I’ve Been in the bar industry since I was 18.
I grew up in Toronto, Canada, born in South Africa. You can bartend in Canada at 18, so I jumped on it. I worked all different types of places. I worked every position in the industry, from dishwasher to Barback, security bartender, etc… in my 20, I packed a bag, hopped on a plane, and started bartending around parts of the world. From the Caribbean islands to Australia and more.
Moved to the states after those adventures and found myself in Cincy. I was close to 30 at this time, with no license (because you really didn’t need one in all the places I lived; public transportation was huge.), going through the immigration process, and trying to find my way. Worked in a few shady bars around town and then found myself a part of the 4EG group.
Finally, back behind the bar and made a deal with myself, if I’m going to still be bartending at 40, I wanted to make sure it was my own bar, so I worked towards that. At 38, The Belle and The Bear was born.
The Belle (as in woman, me) and The Bear (my beautiful dog) became a dream come true.
I also said, if I ever get the opportunity to open this bar, I will be sure to use it for good. Try to raise money and awareness while having fun.
So far, in the 5 years we’ve been open. We’ve been able to raise around $300,000 for animals and people in need. In 2023 alone, we raised $100,000 for Women Helping Women and $30,000 for a couple of animal rescues.
We became a place to do good and listen to some of Cincinnati/Dayton finest musicians and gave everyone a stage to play on.
When covid hit, I fought with the city to allow live music, and I was one of only a couple of places to have it through that time, and it turned into a place where we could all heal while the world seemed like it was falling apart. As sad as that time was, it was also beautiful to have us all come together in the name of music.
I’m in love with what I do. I am in love with The Belle and The Bear and the community it has created. We are a HUGE family there, filled with musicians, customers, and friends.
I hands down have the absolute best staff, and I’m grateful for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE that walks through our doors.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not the smoothest but it all worked out. We started with a previous reputation the bar had before I bought it, and it’s always tougher to change a reputation than starting fresh. But we certainly achieved it. Then COVID hit, which was tough on this industry, especially the new places like myself. Still trying to pay off original loans, not quite established, trying to make it month by month, and then you are forced to close your doors for couple of months, well, that left me with about $0. BUT like I’ve mentioned, I’ve got great people surrounding me that refused to see me close my doors, and I decided I better go big or go home. So, I went all in and went from live music once a week to live music 4-5 times a week. We had to close our doors by 10 pm, but we made it work and some. The Belle and The Bear became more than I could have ever imagined.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We’re a live music venue with a dive bar feel that caters to all walks of life. We’re known for live local music, great vibes, and great people.
I’m most proud of the staff I have; they are truly amazing. We don’t have much turnover, and I think that speaks volumes.
And I’m most proud of all the good we’re doing to help those in need. I’m proud of that we attract amazingly generous and kind people day in and day out.
We have raised a lot of money and hold multiple charity events a year, and I believe we are making a difference. For that reason and maybe a few others, that’s what sets us apart.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I am the sole proprietor, but I have had A LOT of people in my corner that have helped me get here. I don’t want to name names because I will 100% miss some, but they all know who they are. I’ve also opened a food truck called
The Faded Cow Food Truck. It’s a separate entity from The B&B, but it sits out front most nights and also goes on many bookings.
I partnered up with a fantastic chef and the GM of the Thunderdome group, Brian Danner.
There’s a mural in my pool room that is of my dog Bear that’s a friend of mine, Jessica Florer made out of beer bottle caps. It’s fantastic!
Contact Info:
- Website: thebelleandthebear.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/the_belle_and_the_bear
- Facebook: facebook.com/TheBelleandTheBearBar
Image Credits
Edward Sawicki Photography
Jessica Wiggins Photography
John Klare JR
