The giant ivy-covered bear that marks Ivy Bear Pizza has been beacon of pizza goodness for families looking to refuel after a long day on the mountain since 1945. Scott Olsen and his wife Lindsay purchased the Ivy Bear back in 2010 and made a lot of changes, while also keeping the long history of the business first and foremost. The rich heritage of the site is great, but the pizza really is where it's at.
Scott's process for making their delicious margherita pizza is just as much an art form as it is anything else. His thought process is similar to a composer, likening the recipe to a symphony: every instrument has the proper level at which to play, too much of any one sound and the song is ruined. The same goes with the pizza.
One very interesting side note that most customers would miss, the point of sale system that the Ivy Bear runs on is completely custom, and crafted by Scott. He wrote the programming from scratch, and it's functionality is truly impressive. It's something you wouldn't ever notice as you go there to eat, but it's worth acknowledging that he could easily be making millions in Silicon Valley, and we'd all be missing out on a great pizza experience.
The Ivy Bear is located at 54735 HWY 26. The official address has it in Sandy, but it's much further east than the town, and is actually closer to Brightwood and the Villages of Mt. Hood. Bring a friend and your appetites, it will be well worth the stop.
