A bear crashed into a Gatlinburg tea shop during a couple’s seventh‑anniversary celebration, leaping onto the counter and sparking a 10‑minute showdown caught on video.
Bear Invades Tea Shop
Victoria Puyol and Joshua Card, celebrating seven years of marriage, stopped at The Spice & Tea Exchange on Friday when a black bear entered the store.
Card spotted the animal near the doorway, and the clerk urged the pair to retreat behind the register.
The bear rummaged through merchandise, tearing a sweet‑tea blend and inspecting diffusers while a crowd gathered outside.
An employee from a neighboring shop sounded an air horn, but the bear showed little reaction.
Card began filming as the animal approached the counter, asking, “Hey, what you doing there, buddy?”
Couple’s Reaction
Card, a military veteran and former lifeguard, said his training made him cautious rather than confrontational.
He described the bear as curious, not aggressive, and stepped back when it jumped onto the counter.
Puyol said she felt shocked, not frightened, noting the animal was about eight feet away.
She recalled telling Card before the trip that she hoped to see a bear, adding that the encounter was far more intimate than she imagined.
Aftermath and Context
The couple estimated the encounter lasted 10 to 15 minutes before the bear fled after the clerk opened a second‑floor exit.
Store staff said the bear had visited the shop earlier in the week, and a photo posted earlier that week showed the same animal entering for sugar.
Fox News Digital has contacted The Spice & Tea Exchange for comment.
Broader Bear Activity
Black bear sightings have risen in popular U.S. destinations, prompting trail closures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and heightened security at Lake Tahoe homes.
In a separate viral video, bear cubs sparred on a woman’s front porch, drawing thousands of views.
Another incident captured a charging bear confronting a dog walker, underscoring growing human‑wildlife interactions.
