Mr. Beef is an Italian beef restaurant located in River North, Chicago, United States.[1][2][3][4]
| Mr. Beef | |
|---|---|
 Mr. Beef from street level, as of September 2022. | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1979 |
| Previous owner(s) | Joe Zucchero |
| Food type | Italian beef |
| Street address | 666 N Orleans St |
| City | Chicago |
| State | Illinois |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 60654 |
| Country | USA |
Information
The restaurant was founded by Joe Zucchero and originally started out as a stand in 1979.[1] The restaurant features Italian beef sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and pizza puffs.[5][6] The restaurant survived financial troubles in 2009.[7]
The restaurant is most notable for being the inspiration and the storefront[8] for the television series The Bear, which is about an Italian beef restaurant in Chicago.[9] Christopher Storer, the producer of the show, cites Chris Zucchero, Joe Zucchero's son, as a friend.[9] The television series more than doubled business at the store, as they went from selling 300 sandwiches a day to over 800.[10] The owner of Mr. Beef, Joe Zucchero, died in March 2023, though the restaurant will stay open.[1][11][12]
In popular culture
Along with being featured on The Bear, the restaurant was featured on Food Wars, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[13][14] and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[15]
References
41°53′40″N 87°38′14″W / 41.89446°N 87.63736°W