Gregg sits down with Chris Zucchero, the man behind the iconic Chicago restaurant Mr. Beef—the real-life inspiration for FX’s hit series The Bear.

Key Takeaways

How The Bear Pushed Mr. Beef to Its Limits
The Relentless Reality of Running a Restaurant
Expanding Mr. Beef

In this episode of Room for Seconds, host Gregg Majewski sits down with Chris Zucchero, the man behind the iconic Chicago restaurant Mr. Beef—the real-life inspiration for FX’s hit series The Bear. Chris shares candid insights about running a family business in the spotlight, the legacy of his father, and the challenges of managing relentless fame while staying true to his roots. Tune in for an unfiltered conversation about the restaurant that inspired one of television's most talked-about shows.

How The Bear Pushed Mr. Beef to Its Limits

Chris reflects on the overwhelming impact the first season of The Bear had on Mr. Beef. Almost overnight, the restaurant became a cultural phenomenon, with lines out the door from open to close.

Chris describes the intense pressure of operating beyond capacity, comparing their numbers to much larger chains like Portillo’s, despite Mr. Beef’s smaller scale.

The demand pushed the team to their limits, creating a daily grind that felt endless during peak popularity. While the initial frenzy has slightly calmed, the experience underscored the immense spotlight and expectation brought by the show’s success.

The Relentless Reality of Running a Restaurant

Chris addresses the misconception that running a restaurant is glamorous or an easy path to fame, a perception amplified by the success of The Bear.

He emphasizes that the show isn’t about Mr. Beef specifically—it’s about the raw camaraderie, chaos, and relentless dedication required to make a restaurant survive. Chris pushes back against those who view the restaurant industry as a shortcut to celebrity or social media fame, reminding them that true success in this business demands total commitment.

Referencing his father’s blunt wisdom, he stresses that unless you “eat, sleep, s*** and f***” the restaurant, it won’t last. For Chris, the industry isn’t about spotlight moments—it’s about enduring the grind every single day.

Expanding Mr. Beef

Chris Zucchero reflects on the long-debated question of opening a second Mr. Beef location. While his father successfully ran other restaurant ventures, he was hesitant about expanding the original Mr. Beef, believing that true success required complete, undivided focus on one establishment.

Chris shares how he’s spent years considering the possibility of opening another location, with plans nearly materializing before the pandemic. Now, thanks to the visibility brought by The Bear, Chris feels a renewed sense of confidence about expansion.

While he knows success isn’t guaranteed, the show’s popularity offers a unique opportunity to bring the Mr. Beef experience to new places, wherever that might be.

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About Chris Zucchero

Chris Zucchero is the owner of Mr. Beef, a renowned Italian beef sandwich shop located in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Founded in 1979 by his father, Joe Zucchero, Mr. Beef has been a staple in Chicago's culinary scene for decades. Growing up in the family business, Chris became deeply involved in its operations from a young age. By his mid-twenties, he had taken on a co-ownership role, dedicating himself to maintaining the quality and reputation that Mr. Beef had established.
In 2022, Mr. Beef gained national attention as the inspiration for the television series The Bear, which depicts the challenges of running a family-owned Italian beef restaurant in Chicago. The show's success significantly increased the restaurant's popularity, with daily sandwich sales more than doubling from approximately 300 to over 800.

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About Gregg Majewski

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.

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Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands

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The Real Story of Mr. Beef: The Restaurant That Inspired The Bear