Inside, the dining area seats about 100, with the bar seating an additional 35.

Beth Pieters, formerly of Salvatore's Tomato Pies and Steenbock's on Orchard, is the restaurant's executive chef.

This will be Thompson's sixth restaurant. Most he owns with his business partner, Stephani Dalbesio. Together they own The Library Cafe & Bar near the UW-Madison campus, The Free House Pub in Middleton, the Flying Hound in Fitchburg and Waypoint Public House in Monona. For a time, they took over the golf course restaurant at Hawks Landing in Verona.

In late 2014, Thompson opened his first Milwaukee venture, Ale Asylum Riverhouse, which through an agreement with Ale Asylum, uses the name and imagery of the Madison brewery.

In all but the Library, Thompson and Dalbesio have at least one minority partner. In Bear & Bottle, they have two: Waypoint chef Cody Charbarneau, who will serve as general manager at the new place, and Marcus Schiel, who until recently was GM at the Free House.

Naming restaurants is something he and Dalbesio struggle with, Thompson said. She came up with the name, which Thompson said connects with the West Coast. The grizzly bear is the California state animal and is on its state flag.