The Lewis Bear Company

The Lewis Bear Company is a family-owned and operated company that has been active in the Pensacola area for over 145 years. The company handles over 300 brands ranging from globally-known brands to local craft beers to high-end sodas and waters.

The company operates from two distribution centers or warehouses, one in Pensacola and one in Ebro. The company employs more than 210 professionals in their respective fields, ensuring the Lewis Bear Company always meets the customers’ needs.

History & Company Facts of The Lewis Bear Company

The Lewis Bear Company was founded in Pensacola, Florida, in 1876 by Lewis Bear, a Bavarian immigrant who started a grocery shop on South Palafox Street, where today the Saenger Theatre is. About 15 years after opening the shop, Lewis Bear started carrying Anheuser-Busch products and has not stopped since.

The business started to increase, and in 1892, the Lewis Bear Company moved operations to a new warehouse and office building at the corner of Palafox and Main, giving the name Bear Block to the entire block. The company expanded its services from groceries and beer to include building materials, animal feed, and liquor.

Lewis Bear passed away in 1895, and the Lewis Bear Company was run by Morris and Max, Lewis’s sons. The sons reorganized the company, focusing on beer distribution, and expanding the company’s delivery territory and sales. They spread their services to new facilities, expanded their transport capabilities, and started serving smaller towns along the Gulf of Mexico.

Morris Bear was the company’s president until he died in 1928 when his son Lewis Bear inherited the company and ran it until his retirement in 1973 when his nephew Robert Kahn took over operations. The company was always run by a family member and is today run by Lewis Bear Jr.

The Lewis Bear Company sold most of its wholesale businesses, which included canned goods, fresh meats, appliances, and even pharmaceuticals. In 1995, the grocery section of the company was sold, and the immediate Bear family members bought off all other shareholders, making it again a genuinely family-owned company.

The Company now employs about 250 people, operates from two main facilities in Florida, operates in Florida’s panhandle, and handles over 2500 accounts. They have an impressively varied product portfolio that ensures all their customers get excellent variety and impeccable service.

They are an environmentally-friendly company, and they’ve converted their warehouses into state-of-the-art facilities with LED lighting, insulated energy-efficient refrigerated space for packaged drinks, and a draft cooler space.

The company has a strict policy of service to everybody, and they serve the small neighborhood bar the same as a large corporate entity. The company cares about its community and supports organizations like the University of West Florida, Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, Pensacola Sports Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, IMPACT 100, ARC gateway, and PACE Center for Girls, and more.

They have a charitable side, donating drinking water as relief help after the devastating hurricanes that hit Florida in 2020 and 2019.

Contact Information

Corporate address:

The Lewis Bear Company

6120 Enterprise Drive

Pensacola, FL 32505

United States

Phone:
1 (850) 434-8612

E-mail:
See Website

Official company website:
Website Link