Wait no more: reimagined beloved Preston restaurant officially open
Published at
PRESTON — “The Polar Bear has been awakened.”
That is the catchphrase being thrown around by the staff at Polar Bear Eats — a reimagining of the Polar Bear Drive-In, a Preston hotspot from 1952 until 2005.
RELATED | Popular Preston 50’s-style drive-in set to reopen after 18 years
Polar Bear’s long-awaited opening arrived Friday, much to the pleasure of the more than 100 attendees. And while many got their first taste of the burgers, fries and milkshakes the restaurant will offer, it was Eli Bumgarner who was first to order and eat.
After waiting for months, Bumgarner could not wait a second longer and arrived on his bicycle at Polar Bear around 6 a.m. — hours before the 11 a.m. grand opening. He told EastIdahoNews.com it was important to him to be the first to eat at Polar Bear. He gave his meal, a bacon-cheeseburger, fries and vanilla shake, a “20-out-of-10” rating.
Polar Bear was offering a limited menu through 8 p.m. for Friday’s grand opening. But the festivities will continue on Saturday, for the first day of full operation.
“We’re just excited to be a part of Preston and the awesome community,” said Ashley Brinton, chief of staff at Hemsley Ventures, which is behind Polar Bear’s return. “A lot of us are from here and we just love it. We’re just excited to open Polar Bear’s doors.”
