One Potato, Two Potato—Big Bear Baked Potatoes Galore
From Humble Spud to Fully Loaded Feast, Topping the Tater
Tucked into the northeast corner of Longmont, at the end of a shopping center where businesses often struggle to draw crowds, one restaurant pushes baked potatoes to the edge—both in location and flavor.
Big Bear Baked Potatoes, owned and operated by Edward Thomas Ellson II, is changing this classic comfort food, proving that a simple potato can be anything but ordinary. Here, the humble spud transforms into a hearty, fully loaded meal, topped with just about anything you can imagine.
“We believe in crafting perfect potatoes with a variety of delicious, high-quality toppings to ensure each meal is both comforting and memorable,” Ellson shared. “I get Idaho potatoes—Idaho Burbank, specifically. Burbank is a variety of the russet potato. The russet is what everyone is used to—the classic baked potato. The Burbank variety is just one type of russet.”
Ellson’s passion for the food industry runs deep, stemming from his family’s history in the restaurant business.
“My dad was also a restaurant owner, and I have the same name as him. It’s like a little honor to him,” Ellson said about the way he writes his name.
Ellson recalled that his father ran two pizzerias in New York City, and one was right across the street from the World Trade Center. The tragic events of 9/11 affected his family deeply, as his father was supposed to be at the pizzeria that morning.
“We used to take the train into the bottom of the World Trade Center, walk up through the Marriott, and then go out these huge revolving doors. It was so close, but it all got destroyed,” Ellson recalled.
Despite the hardships, Ellson remained connected to the food world from an early age.
“I was a server and bartender my whole life. I joke that my first serving job was at weddings when I was a little kid, running drinks for relatives and coming home with tips in my pocket,” Ellson laughed.
Growing up with influences from both the South and the Northeast, Ellson developed a deep appreciation for comfort food from an early age. He reflected on how his parents’ diverse culinary traditions shaped his love for cooking.
“My mom was from Georgia, so that’s why. She had the whole Southern cooking thing. And then my dad had this New York style, but he also did comfort foods, too,” Ellson recalled. “I got a mix of food there. I had a good culinary upbringing, for sure.”
Few foods are as universally loved and comforting as the potato, and for Ellson, that connection runs deep.
“I’m Irish. I mean, obviously, just a human being, I’ve been eating potatoes my whole life, like everyone has. Yeah, I’m Irish American, that’s what we eat,” Ellson said. “My grandmother, she was from Ireland. I went with my dad every year to Bayside, Queens, New York, for St. Patrick’s Day—corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, the whole nine yards.”
Ellson’s passion for hospitality only grew over the years, working at places like Top Golf in Thornton and Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton.
However, it wasn’t until his father passed away in 2012 that he lost his drive to pursue restaurant ownership.
“I went to college for hotel and restaurant management because I wanted to run a restaurant one day. But when my dad passed, I lost all my motivation,” Ellson admitted.
Everything changed when Ellson became a father himself.
“I had my son three years ago, and that’s when I got this whole new motivation. I knew I was going to be in Longmont for a long time, and I wanted to do something that fit here,” Ellson explained.
Ellson credits a unique source of funding for getting his business off the ground: a poker tournament.
“Last summer, I was at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. I won a pretty nice poker tournament,” Ellson said. “It wasn’t a ton of money, but it was enough to motivate me to take the leap. My girlfriend and I sat down, did a ton of planning, and decided we were just going to go all in.”
Although his family background is in pizza, Ellson knew he wanted to do something different.
“The original idea was pizza, but once I got to Longmont and saw places like Rosalie’s, I realized there was already great pizza here,” Ellson said. “Plus, my dad was all about New York City water for making dough, and I knew that wouldn’t be the same here.”
After extensive research, he realized that a baked potato restaurant was a relatively untapped niche, especially in Longmont.
“The closest thing to what I’m doing is in Las Vegas, Florida, and Canada. But no one has the menu that I have—I created all these recipes myself,” Ellson said.
To validate his concept, Ellson created a SurveyMonkey questionnaire and shared it on Nextdoor, offering a free meal at his new restaurant to the first 20 respondents. The survey covered key aspects like pricing, flavor preferences, and dietary needs.
The response exceeded expectations—his post garnered around 26,000 views and 300 organic survey submissions. The positive feedback reinforced his vision and gave him the confidence to move forward with his restaurant.
Next, setting up the restaurant became a collaborative effort, with friends and family pitching in to bring Ellson’s vision to life.
“Our opening day, we had about 50 people outside,” Ellson recalled. “Buying signage, furniture, equipment—getting everything set up was a group effort between me, my girlfriend, my buddy, and some others who helped. I had a vision of what it was going to look like, and it turned out really close to what I envisioned.”
Ellson’s menu is a direct reflection of his dedication to quality and variety.
“I started with about 30 recipes for potatoes and narrowed it down to 15 or 16 through community feedback. I ran a survey, and the most popular ones made the menu,” Ellson said. “For example, my Nantucket potato—featuring lobster from Maine—was the highest-rated option. It’s tough to keep in stock sometimes because we order fresh from the East Coast, but it’s worth it.”
Ellson is proud to also feature a menu for vegetarians.
“There’s always been one kind of crummy vegan option on most menus, and I wanted to change that. I put multiple vegan and vegetarian options that are awesome and put them in the middle of the menu, so they don’t feel like an afterthought. When I add sweet potatoes to the menu, I think the vegan crowd is really going to go crazy over it,” Ellson said.
The restaurant’s aesthetic has been just as important as the food.
“I’ve spent almost 30 years in restaurants, seeing what worked and what didn’t. I took all of those experiences—the pros and cons—and applied them here. People want clean, simple, elegant spaces with high-quality details. They want non-abrasive colors, easy-listening music at a low volume,” Ellson explained. “The days of sitting in a hole-in-the-wall with amazing food are kind of going away because now everyone has access to great food.”
The response from the Longmont community has been overwhelming.
“We’ve sold over 10,000 potatoes since opening,” Ellson shared about sales since early November. “Right now, we cook about 140 potatoes a day—60 to start the day, then another 80 at dinner. It’s been incredible to see the support.”
Longmont’s growing food scene has also played a role in the restaurant’s success.
“Longmont is becoming a food hub,” Ellson noted. “A lot of that is thanks to people like Sean Gaffner. He came in during our first month, tried everything, and was really supportive. That first month was rough, though—we had a lot of growing pains. But we’ve evolved so much since then.”
Ellson also believes that part of his success comes from his direct engagement with customers.
“I go out and talk to tables, show my face, and listen to what people have to say—the compliments and concerns,” Ellson said.
Word-of-mouth and online reviews have played a key role in spreading awareness.
“Most of our reviews are on Google and Yelp. We also get a lot of positive feedback on DoorDash. Our DoorDash orders come in every five minutes—it’s crazy,” Ellson said. “I raised prices by only a dollar on the app to offset the 30 percent commission, but I wanted to make sure people could still enjoy our food.”
Ellson has big plans for the future, including expanding the menu and introducing new specials.
“I have about 20 more recipes I want to try. I’ll start doing monthly or even weekly specials,” Ellson said. “My first special is coming up for St. Patrick’s Day—a corned beef and cabbage potato with spicy brown mustard. I think people are going to love it.”
Ellson’s ambitious nature has kept him pushing forward.
“So many people stop when they think they’ve made it. But the ones who keep climbing reach the top of the mountain. You have to be ambitious,” Ellson said. “Even if you shoot for the greatest and fall short, you can still be great. It’s like they say—shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you’ll still land among the stars.”
For Ellson, the food industry isn’t just about making great meals, it’s about creating meaningful experiences for others.
“Hospitality is something you’re born with. It’s the desire to make others happy before yourself. When people go to a restaurant and have a great time, they don’t always realize the effort behind the scenes to make that moment happen,” Ellson said. “I love that feeling—when you serve someone, create a little conversation, give them a great meal, and they leave happy. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
For Ellson, it’s all about creating something truly unique.
“People come in and tell me they’ve never seen anything like this before, and that means the world to me,” Ellson said. “So, it took 39 years, but I finally came across a good idea. It makes me feel good. I never thought it would be potatoes. I never thought it would be this. But I love it.”
This looks wonderful. Will have to get one.