A few of us went to the Bear Rock Cafe in Reading on Sunday. The Bear Rock Cafe is located in the fairly new shopping center on North Street that is also home to Jordan's Furniture. I was pretty impressed with the Bear Rock, as their fresh sandwiches compared favorably with Panera, which is a much bigger and more popular chain.
Panera may have some competition, though, as Bear Rock is growing slowly but surely, with locations in a number of states across the country. And with a clean, comfortable environment that suggests a mountain theme (which is weird, since the chain began its days in Raleigh, North Carolina), the Bear Rock should do well not only in Reading, but also wherever it opens in the future.
As of now, there are only two Bear Rock Cafes in Massachusetts: One in Reading and one in Leominster. I bet there will be more coming soon, though.
