By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Children can have the birthday party of their dreams at Bears 4 U, a local business where kids of all ages can create custom bears, or other stuffed animals, for $39.99 each. The birthday child gets his or her stuffed animal free as part of the party.
Even if a party is not in the plans, children can visit Bears 4 U to create their own special toy. The interesting twist is that the Bears 4 U owner, 19-year-old Kayla Mihalinec, was a child herself – around 8 years old – when she decided to start her own business.
“I didn’t know I was going to do a bear business, but I had a business in mind,” Mihalinec said recently from her Bears 4 U store at 1860 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.
Mihalinec was inspired by her father, an entrepreneur, so she started saving her money with an entrepreneurial goal in mind at age 8. Now a college student living in Clarksville, Mihalinec began the business as an internet pursuit when she was 17.
Among the toys Bears 4 U carries are lions, tigers, poodles, dogs, cats, giraffes, elephants, monkeys and, of course, bears./Karen Parr-Moody
She is now coming up on the first anniversary of being in a brick-and-mortar store; she moved to 1860 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard last August. There her younger siblings, Alexis, Reilly and Sharkey, help her operate the business, which is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday; it is closed on Sunday.
Among the toys Bears 4 U carries are lions, tigers, poodles, dogs, cats, giraffes, elephants, monkeys and, naturally, bears. The process of “building” a stuffed animal is similar to that of the Build-a-Bear company, a franchise that Mihalinec admires but thinks is expensive, in addition to requiring a drive to Nashville. With Bears 4 U, she offers an alternative.
At Bears 4 U a child chooses his or her animal and a “wish key” or a “prayer key” that the child can tuck inside the toy. He or she can then put stuffing into the toy with a special machine and dress up and accessorize the animal to his or her liking. The animal also comes with a birth certificate.
While children can build their animals at the store on any day of the year, they can also have a birthday party with a minimum of five children. Mihalinec and her staff can bring the supplies and machinery for building toy animals to a person’s home or the party can be held at her offices. A maximum of 30 people can use the conference room at her store location.
“Birthday parties are a lot of fun,” Mihalinec said.
There are many different outfits and accessories with which children can dress up their animals at Bears 4 U./Karen Parr-Moody
To give back to the Clarksville community, Mihalinec puts 10% of each purchase toward helping a different nonprofit each month (she said she is open to nonprofit suggestions from the community). For July she is putting the 10% toward school supplies for low-income children through S.T.E.P.S (School Tools that Empower and Promote Success, a nonprofit Mihalinec founded). She is also offering 10% off each stuffed animal to people who donate school supplies. She also offers 10% off a purchase for customers with a valid military I.D.
“It feels good to give back to the community, which is what we’ve been taught growing up,” Mihalinec said.
Although she is currently studying nursing, Mihalinec has a five-year plan. She wants to operate at least three stores here, then franchise the business elsewhere while being a nurse.
“I think it would be cool and a lot of fun,” she said.
For questions about Bears 4 You, call the store at 931-302-2559 or visit the Facebook page.
Each stuffed animal comes with a birth certificate./Karen Parr-Moody
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.