Sale of popular café triggers ‘mixed emotions’ on St. Joseph Island

After serving customers for five years, The Black Bear Café has been sold; physiotherapy clinic with island connections will take over the space this fall

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1 / 1 The Black Bear Café and Eatery is transitioning to new ownership; Kinect Therapy will take over the space in October.Courtesy of Kinect Therapy Facebook page

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Restaurant goers will only have a few more opportunities to dine at a café that has grown to become a household name on St. Joseph Island.

Effective Oct. 1, the owners of The Black Bear Café and Eatery will be closing their kitchen and handing over the keys to Kinect Therapy — a physiotherapy clinic with existing operations on the island, as well as Sault Ste. Marie and Thessalon.

Listed for $440,000 by Meagan Vance with EXIT Realty True North, The Black Bear has provided customers with a wide assortment of baked goods, tasty dishes and gift shop knickknacks.

Mary Lou Eckmeier, originally from the Sault, and her husband Roy, raised in the Barrie area, opened the doors to the bakery near Kents Corner in 2019.

The couple had been living out west for 38 years before Mary Lou aspired to open her own café and gift shop.

Eyeing a place on the water after Roy retired from FedEx, the two moved to the island and purchased a home in Hilton Township.

An old bakery had existed at the site before the Eckmeiers purchased it five years ago — but they didn’t initially consider themselves bakers.

"I bake for pleasure, not trade," Mary Lou told SooToday at the time. “[Baking] is a creative and artistic thing for me."

The outgoing owners alerted their customers of the sale just over a week ago, announcing they intend to continue operating until Sept. 25.

“We will continue to cook for you and serve you until then so please continue to follow us on Facebook,” they wrote. “We have many people to thank for the success we’ve had.”

Meanwhile, the owner of Kinect Therapy — who lives on the island — expressed their appreciation for the Eckmeiers on social media ahead of their October move-in.

“Their café was more than just a place to enjoy a meal — it was a gathering spot filled with warmth, outstanding food, and a welcoming atmosphere that brought people together,” they wrote.

“We understand that this transition may bring mixed emotions,” they continued. “Please know that our vision for this space is deeply rooted in community values.”

Kinect Therapy staff members added that they are excited to continue delivering holistic and hands-on physiotherapy treatments in their new space.

Black Bear customers are asked to redeem gift certificates as soon as possible as they will not be redeemable once the café closes