As soon as you walk into Bearly Awake in Red River you are greeted with a hello and a smile. The friendly barista mixes up some delicious concoctions listed on their versatile drink menu and while you wait you can browse all the local merchandise owner Tori Curry takes pride in carrying. The rich scent of coffee fills the air at Bearly Awake but coffee is not the only thing offered at this quaint location nestled in mountainous Red River, where you can come in for some frozen yogurt, fresh-squeezed lemonade, or a sausage bomb.
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, owners Tori and Levi Curry opened Bearly Awake. “It was a challenging time to open a restaurant,” Tori says, “finding the right employees and the fact that people could only purchase to-go orders made it difficult in the beginning.” Gradually, limits on capacity started lifting and customers started coming into the newly established coffee shop.
The idea of owning and running a business was something that Tori had entertained for a while. Having been “the employee” for many years, Tori was ready to be the boss of her own business and why not a coffee shop—one that offered yogurt? “If you don’t like coffee, there is frozen yogurt. There is something on the menu for everyone,” Tori says.
After having trouble finding the right location, the previous owners of a general merchandise store retired and Tori and her business partner-husband Levi bought the building where Bearly Awake sits. With 18 years of accounting and administration under her belt and attending barista school in Dallas, Tori was ready to open the doors. At the school Tori learned the science around brewing the perfect cup of coffee and is proud to offer fair trade organic coffee in both medium and dark roasts. “Consistency and quality is so important to me,” Tori expresses.
Some of their best sellers include the caramel macchiato, Mexican mocha, Lotus energy drinks, and the medicine bomb, an immune boosting hot tea featuring freshly steamed lemonade. A portable coffee trailer allows Bearly Awake to be mobile and participate in gatherings and events at Brandenburg Park.
Currently, business is good and many locals and tourists come in to enjoy a beverage and sit on one of the soft leather chairs at Bearly Awake. The future includes plans for the addition of a larger kitchen to accommodate a few more delish menu items, including bagels and the continuous production of their “good eats” menu items that includes the famous sausage bomb—a sausage and cream cheese-filled croissant that always sells out. “I am looking forward to offering a few new menu items and offering quality bagels,” says Tori.
Some challenges have presented themselves over the years for Bearly Awake, including the arson of their shed in 2023, which led to a structural loss of a portion of their business and many merchandise items. “We were able to start over and learned what not to do,” Tori mentions. Another challenge over the years has been finding employees. Currently, the Curry’s have a staff of employees they can trust and enjoy working with.
Being a business owner isn’t easy—some may say it’s a calling. For Tori, it’s a chance to be the boss and make the decisions for her business and livelihood. “It takes energy and commitment. During the first year I was here every day and mostly I still am.” Tori takes her entrepreneurial side so seriously that in 2024 the Town of Red River named her Businesswoman of the Year. She proudly displays the trophy in her shop. Bearly Awake also received first place in the Red River Christmas Light Competition for the past two years, a win that employee Elycia Gallegos was proud to mention.
Bearly Awake is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is closed the month of April. Stop by and let the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee fill your senses.
