The Baked Bear Encinitas: Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches on Coast Hwy 101

Last updated August 19, 2026

On South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas, The Baked Bear has built a following around a straightforward premise: let the customer build their own ice cream sandwich from scratch. Choose your cookies, pick your ice cream, add toppings, and walk out with something that didn't exist five minutes ago. It sounds simple, but the execution is what keeps people coming back. The shop at 587 S Coast Hwy 101 Ste. B, Encinitas, CA 92024 is part of a chain that started in San Diego in 2013 and has since grown to 25 locations across the country.

The Baked Bear sits in a category that blends dessert shop with interactive food experience. Customers aren't just ordering off a menu; they're making decisions at every step, which turns a quick stop into something more memorable. That hands-on quality, combined with a wide roster of cookie and ice cream options, is what separates this concept from a standard scoop shop or bakery.

For Encinitas residents and visitors passing through on Coast Highway 101, the shop offers the kind of treat that fits the coastal California rhythm: casual, customizable, and worth the detour.

History and Founding Story of The Baked Bear

The Baked Bear traces back to 2012, when childhood friends Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger decided to leave their respective careers and open a restaurant concept together in San Diego. Both were self-described dessert fans, and the idea of an ice cream sandwich shop came naturally out of that shared enthusiasm. As Stanger has put it, the focus on ice cream sandwiches wasn't a calculated market move; it was personal.

They opened their first store in Pacific Beach, California, in May 2013. The Pacific Beach location quickly became a destination for locals and tourists alike, generating enough momentum to attract attention from publications including Forbes, Eater, and Thrillist. From that single shop, Robbins and Stanger built out a franchise model that now spans 25 locations nationwide, with additional openings planned.

The Encinitas location on South Coast Highway 101 is part of that expansion, bringing the original San Diego build-your-own concept to one of the county's most recognizable coastal communities.

The Baked Bear Services and Specialties in Encinitas

The core offering at The Baked Bear is the build-your-own ice cream sandwich. Customers select two cookies or brownies as the outer layers, then choose an ice cream flavor to go in the middle. From there, toppings and mix-ins are available to finish the sandwich. The result is assembled fresh in front of you.

What makes the format work is the range of options at each step. The cookie lineup typically includes:

• Chocolate chip
• Sugar cookies
• Snickerdoodle
• Double chocolate
• Oatmeal varieties
• Seasonal and rotating specialty cookies

Ice cream flavors rotate and span classic and creative options, giving repeat customers a reason to try something different each visit. Customers can also mix two different cookies for the top and bottom of the sandwich, which opens up a lot of combinations that a standard dessert menu would never offer.

Beyond the walk-in experience, The Baked Bear has developed a catering operation that takes the build-your-own concept mobile for private events. The shop has handled catering for weddings and other special occasions, where the interactive nature of the sandwich-building process tends to become a focal point of the event itself.

Team and Leadership at The Baked Bear Encinitas

The Baked Bear was founded by Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger, who remain the driving figures behind the brand. Their decision to build a franchise around a single, well-executed concept rather than a broad menu reflects a clear operational philosophy: do one thing and do it well enough to scale.

At the Encinitas location, the day-to-day experience is shaped by the staff working the counter. Customers have consistently noted the energy and friendliness of the team. One reviewer specifically called out the three staff members working a particular evening, describing them as friendly and professional in a way that made the visit noticeably better. That kind of floor-level service is what turns a one-time stop into a habit.

Awards, Press, and Milestones

• Featured in Forbes, Eater, and Thrillist since the original Pacific Beach opening in 2013.
• Recognized as a San Diego staple across local food coverage and community conversations.
• Grown from a single Pacific Beach shop to 25 locations nationwide as of the most recent expansion count.
• Additional locations in the pipeline, with five more expected to open within the current year.

What Customers Say About The Baked Bear

The reviews for The Baked Bear in Encinitas reflect two consistent themes: the quality of the product and the quality of the people making it. Customers tend to mention both in the same breath, which says something about how the experience holds together from start to finish.

Madison Sawyer captured the value proposition clearly:

Super delicious ice cream sandwiches. Total bang for your buck with a wide variety of cookie types, ice cream, flavors, and toppings!

- Madison Sawyer

Tamar H. focused on the staff during her visit, noting that the team working that evening elevated the whole experience:

The 3 girls that worked tonight were so friendly and professional and made our experience even better!

- Tamar H

The catering side of the business has also drawn strong feedback. Tara Davis used The Baked Bear for her wedding and described the response from guests as overwhelming:

They were so easy to work with, super responsive and accommodating! Our guests absolutely freaked out and were blown away by it!

- Tara Davis

Across these accounts, the throughline is that the concept delivers on its promise whether you're walking in solo on a Tuesday or feeding a crowd at a reception. The customization angle isn't just a gimmick; it translates into a genuinely different experience each time.

Location and Community in Encinitas

The Baked Bear's Encinitas shop is located at 587 S Coast Hwy 101 Ste. B, Encinitas, CA 92024, along one of Southern California's most-traveled coastal corridors. South Coast Highway 101 runs through the heart of Encinitas, connecting the city's surf culture, independent shops, and restaurants in a stretch that draws both year-round residents and seasonal visitors. It's a natural fit for a concept built around a casual, shareable treat.

Encinitas itself has seen sustained interest from buyers and residents drawn to its coastal access and community character. The broader San Diego County market has posted home price appreciation averaging around 8.5% annually in recent years, with projections settling closer to 4.2% going forward, reflecting a market that remains active even as it moderates. That kind of residential stability tends to support local businesses, as a consistent population of homeowners and long-term renters becomes a reliable customer base.

The Baked Bear's catering operation also connects the brand to the local event scene, bringing the build-your-own experience to gatherings throughout the region rather than limiting it to foot traffic on the highway.

Why Choose The Baked Bear in Encinitas

The Baked Bear offers something that most dessert shops don't: a genuinely customizable product assembled in front of you, with enough options that two people can walk in together and leave with completely different sandwiches. That interactivity, backed by quality cookies and ice cream, is the reason a concept that started with two friends in Pacific Beach in 2013 now operates 25 locations across the country.

For anyone in Encinitas looking for a dessert stop that goes beyond the standard scoop or slice, the shop on South Coast Highway 101 is worth the visit. And for event planners looking for something that will actually get guests talking, the catering operation has already proven itself at weddings and special events where the bar for memorable is high.

Customer quotes shown above are from public Google reviews.