This Columbus grocery store once kept a live bear out front 🐻 ➡️ In 1934, Big Bear opened its first store on Lane Ave. in this giant building which was once a dance hall, a roller skating rink, and a full-sized polo arena. Big Bear took risks that no one else tried. They were the first self-serve supermarket in the Midwest, the first in the country to use motorized checkout belts, and one of the first to offer shopping carts (eventually introducing mini carts for children, too). And then there was the bear. Founder Wayne Brown kept a live bear in a special enclosure out front for eight years, until it outgrew its cage and moved to the Columbus Zoo. More bears would appear at other store openings. One bear appeared to price check items at the checkout line, while one reportedly walked a high wire in a parking lot. At its peak, Big Bear had as many as 90 stores across Ohio and West Virginia, introducing innovations that reshaped grocery shopping everywhere. Other chains followed s...