A Glimpse Into the Hive

Front of Bebe & Pop's

    Every small town has a family-owned business, a local gem, that brings a homestyle charm to any area. For Sellersville, Pennsylvania, that business is Bebe & Pop's Thriving Hive. The Hive is a small bee-themed café and retail shop owned by Beatrice and Tom Kaiser, and in the few short months it's been open (December 8, 2022), it's become quite popular among the locals. Complete with warm yellow lighting, plenty of seating, thrifted bookshelves filled with treats and trinkets available for purchase, a coffee bar, home-cooked food, the faint sound of country music drifting out from the kitchen, and of course, plenty of bee-themed decorations, Bebe & Pop's feels like sitting down for a meal at your grandparents' house. However, it isn't just the aura of the shop that appeals to all who come in; Customers agree that the Kaisers are what really make the shop feel homey.

    Beatrice Kaiser is a ball of energy and kindness. Her brown hair reaches slightly below her ears, her black-framed glasses are perched on the bridge of her nose, and her smile never leaves her face. Bea, as she likes to be called, radiates unwavering positivity no matter what. She's attentive and holds eye contact when spoken to, is patient with her staff and customers, and most would consider her to be grandmotherly if it wasn't for her youthful mannerisms like dancing in the kitchen or her ability to crack a genuinely funny joke at any given moment. Most days, she can be found in her yellow staff shirt with a black apron tied around her waist, walking around to chat with the customers or prepping food in the kitchen.

    On the surface, Bea's husband, Tom, is the exact opposite of her. Standing nearly a whole foot taller than her and cooking at the 18-inch grill with a near-constant look of indifference, he is quite imposing. He's quick to become frustrated and quick to throw around profanity, but he's even quicker to throw out a dad joke. He and Bea even each other out; They have a happy, healthy marriage and a happy, healthy business together.

Bea & Tom Kaiser alongside 2 of their children.

    "We weren't planning to open the business for another 4 years," Bea explains, "But the owner of the building offered us the space for a good price, so we went for it!" She laughs and throws her hands up. "I'm not even retired yet. That's why our hours are so odd. Tom and I are still working full time."

    The store is open Wednesday through Friday from 4:00 PM- 9:00 PM, Saturdays from 8:00 AM- 8:00 PM, and Sundays from 8:00 AM- 2:00 PM. The food is always fresh, the coffee is always hot, and the service is always great. It's a testament to how well Bea and Tom run the place despite having numerous responsibilities. 

    Bea points to covered windows just below the white-painted ceiling. They are painted with yellow bee hives and little bees flying around them.

    "Each bee up there represents one of our children or grandchildren." Bea places a high value on her family. "The name 'Bebe & Pop's' actually was picked by our oldest granddaughter, Lauren. She calls us Bebe and Pop-pop, so when we told her we were opening a café and asked her what we should call it, she said 'I think you should call it Bebe and Pop-Pop's!'" Bea recalls this with fondness apparent in her voice. 

    Looking at the menu, customers can find various options such as "Bob's Special Smoothies", "Queen-B Vickie Salad", "Tom Jr's Turkey Bacon Wrap", "Anna Berry Delight" and more. Bea explains that she names a variety of her menu items after her family as well. All of the names coincide with one of her children or grandchildren except for Bob, her brother. She walks over to a three-tiered rack on the register counter. It holds a number of brownies, cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels, and greeting cards all labeled with a W.O.W sticker. A yellow cup labeled DONATIONS sits on the middle tier. 

    "The W.O.W. program is a transitional school for adults with disabilities. The program teaches important skills like independent living and how to do certain jobs like-" she motions to the rack of treats, "how to bake, and how to make cards. All of the deserts and cards that you see here have been made by W.O.W. students. They deliver boxes of this stuff here and we put it out alongside a donation cup. Customers are welcome to take something from the rack and leave a donation of however much they see fit. At the end of the work week, W.O.W. comes in to collect their proceeds." It's a touching cause to support, but she explains how her support for W.O.W. goes even deeper.

W.O.W Logo

    "My brother, Bob, has Down syndrome. He went through a program similar to W.O.W. and seeing all of the ways it has impacted his life for the better was really what encouraged me to reach out [to W.O.W.] and say 'Hey, I would love to support you guys'".

    Bea's family goes even further than blood relations, though. Any regular to the store and all of her staff are considered family. One of the managers who has been working for Bea since opening day had nothing but kind words about the woman.

    "She's such a kind, generous person and is so friendly to everyone she meets. She's become personal friends with my family and honestly, I couldn't ask for a better boss."

    The sentiment is shared by customers as well. An elderly woman in a cream sweater sits with her husband at a table labeled with the number 8. She speaks quite highly of the shop.

    "My husband and I are in here every Friday for the chicken salad croissant. This place has some of the best homestyle food around, but their chicken salad tops everything." The basket in front of her does in fact have a half-eaten chicken salad croissant in it. "Not to mention how Bea and [the waitresses] are so nice! You don't get that kind of service many places these days."

Bebe & Pop's Avocado Toast

    Bebe & Pop's has plenty of great reviews about not just the service, but the food as well. There are plenty of options to pick from, no matter what the customer's preferences or lifestyle is. Ranging from gluten-free waffles to vegetarian soups, there's always something for everyone. To gauge how well an item would do if it were to be added to the menu, Bea and Tom have a weekly special and a weekly soup. The avocado toast, for example, was added originally as a special. When it did phenomenally in the "trial week", it officially became a menu item. It still remains popular with vegetarian customers and teenagers who come into the store. So many people appreciate the lengths that Bea and Tom go to in order to ensure that every customer gets to eat what they like without having to ask for modifications or be nervous about carelessness while their food is being handled.

    It's true that Bea and Tom have cultivated a great, family-oriented environment. It's truly unique and draws in crowds of people who are all looking to support such wonderful people and of course, have a good meal while they're there. For a small shop in a small town, Bebe & Pop's Thriving Hive definitely has a big story and a big presence in the community.