(Credits: FX)

Undoubtedly contributing to the modern “sexy chef” archetype, FX’s culinary drama TV show The Bear has taken the entertainment world by storm in recent years. Focusing on Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto, a young fine-dining chef played by Jeremy Allen White, The Bear tells of the taking over of his deceased brother’s struggling Chicago sandwich shop.

What follows is the unpacking of Carmy’s grief and trauma whilst shouldering the responsibility of making his brother’s restaurant succeed, transforming it from a rundown sandwich joint into an acclaimed fine-dining restaurant. In the high-pressure kitchen, the stories of Carmy’s team are also told with striking emotional weight and intensity.

There’s also a palpable sense of authenticity to The Bear in how it captures the high stress of working in a kitchen, with all the chaotic clanging of pans matching the bubbling emotion of the staff. In fact, Christopher Storer’s series has another layer of reality in that it is based on a real restaurant in Chicago.

Storer based The Bear and shot most of the pilot episode in Mr. Beef, which had been owned by his childhood friend Chris Zucchero. Zucchero’s father, Joseph, had taken over Mr. Beef in 1979 and had been serving delicious Italian beef subs to the Chicago public for many years. Chris took on the head role after his old man passed away in 2023.

Located on New Orleans Street in River North in the Illinois city, Mr. Beef provided the basis for The Bear‘s brilliance. In an interview with Variety, Chris Zucchero spoke of the relationship between his restaurant and the fictional hit show, although he admitted that he had never watched a single episode of his friend’s work.

Discussing Storer’s early desire to incorporate Mr. Beef into his writing, Zucchero said, “Years ago, he [Storer] said, ‘I’m gonna write about Mr. Beef. I can guarantee you that.’ And then I said, ‘Don’t fucking Hollywood talk me, for one. You’ve been out there too long, don’t bullshit me.'” However, Storer was not bullshitting in the slightest.

According to Zucchero, when The Bear went ahead with being made, the producers and crew of the show set about accurately recreating Mr. Beef with a high level of authenticity. “They did it to a T, down to the stains on the wall,” Zucchero explained. “It was sort of a symbiotic thing they were doing, going to the set and then coming to Mr. Beef. It was amazing to see. And they still filmed the second season at Mr. Beef too, outside and in the front.”

The restaurant owner said that Jeremy Allen White gained a better understanding of what it is like to be a chef after starring as Carmy, but he also admitted that he finds Mr. Beef’s newfound popularity as a result of The Bear’s success somewhat annoying. Zucchero’s father passed away in 2023, and the younger restauranteur said his dad was incredibly “proud” of Storer’s show.

Zucchero tries to distance himself from the success of The Bear, noting that someone still has to “wake up the next day and make beef”. He said, “I try to just keep everything and myself the same. It’s what I’ve known my whole life.” So even though The Bear owes its origins to Mr. Beef, Zucchero is keen to keep his feet firmly on the ground and do what he does best: make delicious beef subs for the people of Chicago.