Fernando Stieber wasn’t just a Great Pyrenees. He was one of Atlanta’s favorite dogs and the face of the award-winning Summerhill restaurant Little Bear.
Fernando’s nickname, “Little Bear,” inspired the restaurant’s name, and his illustration graces all of its merch. Owners Chef Jarrett Stieber and Hallie Stieber, along with staff and regulars, affectionately refer to Little Bear as “the dog restaurant.”
A Fernando sighting in Atlanta was common. He became a local celebrity, often greeting people at coffee shops like Chrome Yellow or on restaurant patios like Staplehouse. But on February 17, after 10 years and hundreds of photographs with the Stieber family and Little Bear guests, Fernando succumbed to osteosarcoma.
The last thing the Stiebers were thinking of was getting another dog. The universe had other plans.
Related Story:
• The 2024 Michelin Guide to Atlanta
• Atlanta’s restaurant merch game is strong
In June, Hallie Stieber saw Diego’s photo on the Great Pyrenees Rescue Atlanta (GPRA) website. The Great Pyrenees puppy ended up at GPRA after someone threw him out of a moving car. At the time, Diego was staying with GPRA vet partner Animal Wellness Clinic in Milton, GA, to recover from an infection, worms, and malnourishment. The rescue was searching for a foster family familiar with the breed.
“Something about him just kind of drew us to him,” Jarrett Stieber said. “We thought it was perfect, a dog born the day after Fernando named Diego.”
The couple decided to test the waters with Diego and foster him. Stieber’s father, who volunteers at the rescue — he started after falling in love with the breed through Fernando and retiring in 2020 — brought him to the Stiebers’ home in Grant Park on June 17.
They only lasted four days before deciding to keep the puppy. Now, less than a month later, Diego’s adoption paperwork is complete.
Related stories:
• Meet the lovable mascots of six Atlanta restaurants
• Little Bear chef Jarrett Stieber launches digital cookbook series
• Monday nights are for Atlanta’s supper clubs and underground restaurants
However, incorporating Diego into the Stieber family comes with challenges. For starters, Diego is Fernando’s polar opposite, energetic and vocal, whereas Fernando was mellow and docile. Diego is also the couple’s first foster and rescue pet.
“We had Fernando from eight weeks old. We picked him out when he was about six weeks old from a farm that we used to buy chicken from,” Stieber said. “We intentionally picked the quiet, sleepy one in the corner. He had his crazy puppy energy here and there [but] was always really laid back around other dogs.”
Diego, on the other hand, wants to play fetch constantly and currently processes the world through his mouth. (Yes, he’s a super chewer, and is only allowed to use a metal leash and lick mat.) He requires more training and socialization than Fernando, but like his predecessor, Diego is also extremely affectionate.
“He always wants to have his paw touching your foot if he’s trying to take a nap,” Stieber said.
And, yes, you’ll likely see Diego at Little Bear on occasion. He has already visited the restaurant a few times, but is still timid around strangers. The couple plans to continue socializing Diego, including bringing him to Little Bear more often as his training progresses.
Stieber is working with designer Alvin Diec of Family Bros. on the next round of Little Bear merch. The chef hasn’t decided yet whether an illustrated Diego will appear on his own on the merch for Little Bear or accompany illustrations of Fernando.
The Stiebers know that Diego won’t fill Fernando’s shoes, and that’s okay, because he’s forging his own path with the family and their Summerhill restaurant.