More Than a Vacation: The “Why” Behind Ursa’s New Sabbatical Policy

By Amanda Agamaite

At Ursa Minor, we recently gave our core values a serious glow-up. Our mission is now driven by four pillars: “Boldly Curious”, “Made for the Northland”, “Do Good”, and “Work Hard, Live Wild”. These values embody who we are as a company, and what we strive for every day as we continue to grow, learn, and serve our community.

Historically, we’ve been comfortable living the “Work Hard” part. We set and achieve goals, expand our reach, and constantly obsess over improving our products and the hospitality we deliver. Our team is dedicated to building something Duluth can be proud of, and deliver a product and experience our neighbors deserve. 

But to sustain that level of intensity, we realized we had to invest just as heavily in the “Live Wild” side of the equation.

To celebrate all the hard work and dedication of the people who make Ursa Minor possible, we instituted a Sabbatical Policy. This rewards anyone who hits the five-year milestone (or equivalent hours for part-time staff) with 2 extra weeks of PTO and $4,000 to put towards flights/accommodations. We want our team to continue to bring their best selves to work, and to do that we want to give them the space to truly “Live Wild” outside of the Taproom or Brewery. 

Although we hope each sabbatical provides an opportunity for a well deserved break, it’s an intentional mandate to connect with those you love, explore the world, seek unfamiliar perspectives, and bring fresh nuggets of insight back to Duluth.

I had the honor (and just a little bit of pressure) of being the sabbatical guinea pig. As the first person to cross the five-year mark under this new policy, I packed my bags for a culinary adventure that bridged the hustle of New York City with the slow-food traditions of Italy. My mission was simple, delicious, and educational: figure out the hype behind NYC Bagels, consume an ungodly amount of carbs (for research), and experience what hospitality has to offer in both NYC & Italy. 

The NYC Hustle

My time in NYC was dedicated to the bagel and coffee scene all across the city. You haven’t seen efficiency until you’ve been in a midtown Manhattan bagel shop at 8:30 AM. I visited the most popular bagel places; PopUp Bagels, Ess-A-Bagel, and Liberty Bagels alongside coffee stops at Starbucks Reserve Roastery, Cafe Ambrosia, and 787 Coffee. Each shop offered a different model, but they all faced the same challenge. 

Wisdom nugget - It’s all about execution: how do you deliver consistent high quality bagels and sandwiches when the demand is relentless? NYC taught me that when the pace is fast, your system has to be flawless.

The Italian Art of Slowing Down

Then came Italy. From Rome to Florence to Milan, my diet consisted almost exclusively of pizza, cappuccinos, gelato, pesto, and focaccia (again, for research). The lesson here was completely opposite of NYC. In Italy, excellence isn’t about speed; it’s about ingredients, tradition, and an immense pride of being locally authentic. 

One of the highlights was a pesto-making class led by a local Nonna (Grandma). She told us pesto doesn’t need to be hard. “You can use this [mortar and pestle], but why make it hard, when you can make it easy [with a food processor]? We can save time and spend it together.” She taught me that real pesto is just basil (never wet!), nuts (she used pistachios for the saltiness), parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. That’s it. 

Wisdom nugget - sometimes the best solution is the simplest one, executed with the best ingredients. Quality doesn’t always have to be complicated.

 Bringing the “Wild” Back to Work

I am incredibly grateful to work at Ursa Minor Brewing, a company that understands that to be our best in the office (or taproom), we sometimes need to get miles and miles away from it. 

Stepping away allowed me to see the contrast between “fast excellence” and “slow perfection”. I’m back, I’m recharged, and I’m ready to apply everything I learned to our next big adventure: Bean & Bear Bagels (Opening in Spring 2026!)

To my colleagues hitting their milestones soon, start dreaming! And for folks looking for a workplace that appreciates the work you put in, both for the company, and for yourself, we’re expanding the team all the time ;) 

The world is waiting, and we want you to go see it.