One thing that really struck me about the Covid-19 pandemic is just how universal its effect was. Bad or good, it changed something for virtually everyone. Here in Morgantown we lost an institution when Black Bear Burritos closed its original downtown location last winter. My friends and I watched our kids grow up in that place. For years, it was the only spot in town that offered tasty, healthy food, live music that drowned out the kids’ noise, AND delicious craft beer (which made us care a little less when our kids ran around like banshees, hid under benches, and shook the candy dispenser repeatedly while we ate our dinner).

Lucky for us, Black Bear’s second location lives on across town. And while the closing of the original saddened many, many people, it also opened the door for something new. The owners decided to turn the extended closure caused by Covid into an opportunity for a refresh. Though the Evansdale restaurant was vibrant and successful in its own right pre-Covid, the “Before” pictures you see here show it in its take-out only phase, filled with much of the art and memorabilia they’d collected in 17 years downtown, as well as extra kitchen equipment, signs, and seating. Those of you who know me well can surely imagine my excitement when Jason and Matt told me earlier this year that I could help pick paint colors and move some art around. I could hardly wait to get started.

The first thing I did was to research what colors work best in restaurants. I found multiple articles (such as this one) about the psychology of colors and why and where they should be used. (Red and yellow make you want to eat fast and leave. Using green in a bar makes people feel ill. Orange makes you want to indulge.) Based on my research, I decided to keep the vibrant orange that was already behind the bar (Have another beer!) but bring in another color to tone it down a bit. I liked the idea of green, both because it’s in their logo and because it’s associated with fresh, healthy food. (While they’ve got enough meat and cheese to satisfy any carnivore (even weekly burger specials), they’re one of the few places here that offers plenty of veggies, plus beans, tofu, and jackfruit. I think that’s worth highlighting.)

I pride myself on my eye for color, so I surprised myself a little when I painted three shades of green on the walls and liked none of them. I returned to the Chestnut Brew Works Halleck poster that hangs in the bar area, which had been my original color palette inspiration, and then headed back to Lowes for more samples.

The second time was a charm: everyone liked the next round of greens. And so the refresh began. Fast forward several months, and I’ve since painted all but two walls in the restaurant, helped hang almost all the art, and added some paint and plants to the patio. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Along the way, I also designed a Black Bear sticker and photographed the entire menu for their new online ordering system. This is my first commercial gig, and let me tell you, I loved every minute of it.

I painted the walls at the entrance green to give it more of a presence. Jason hung four stained glass pieces from downtown in the windows and enlisted the help of the arborist who created the wall covering of circular wood cuts downtown to re-construct it on the first wall you see when you walk in. It really sets the tone. I like how the warm wood pops against the green backdrop.

I continued the green from that wall onto the two walls that lead to the counter where you place your order but left the orange on the low wall beside the booths for a nice contrast. I was pleasantly surprised by how much this change made both the bicycle tire lights (sponsored by Pathfinder) and the Eddie Spaghetti mural on the low wall stand out.

Jason had the idea of painting the big square pillar behind the counter turquoise, to tie into the accent wall we did across the restaurant. We hung the bold bear paw paintings created by Jason’s artist buddy Ryan Lincicome on the entrance wall and behind the counter and put an awesome new Eddie Spaghetti bike print on the pillar.

We filled the wall behind the bar with brewery signs and other bar-related kitch and switched out the booths for high-tops to create a more cohesive feel. I painted the wall at the far end of the bar area orange too, as well as the wall that wraps around into additional seating to designate that whole side of the restaurant as the “bar area.”

I also rehung some of the existing art, moving it down a bit to make the space feel more intimate.

We added a turquoise accent wall at the back and painted the wooden silhouette of musicians (by Roland Hunn) black to make it pop against the orange.

In the hall leading to the bathrooms, I hung all their awards and plaques on one wall and a collection of WVU-themed memorabilia on the other. I painted the doors to the bathrooms and offices black to hide dirt and add some contrast.

I painted both bathrooms green and the stalls black and added some art and mirrors.

I carried the green around behind the stage, and Jason had a new light installed to shine on the wall to the right, which will eventually hold local artists’ work.

Jason and Matt decided to incorporate what was once a private dining room into the rest of the restaurant by cutting a large window into the wall it shares with the larger space. I painted two of its walls a warm, glowing yellow and hung all the outdoor-themed artwork in that room together.

This was by far my biggest project to date. And while I certainly love doing houses, it’s pretty exciting to redo something that everyone in town can see. Want to check it out? Now you can. After a year of serving take-out only, Black Bear is finally back. Doors open for dine-in tomorrow, May 3.

I hope the new decor makes you love your burritos (and burgers and tacos and queso) even more.