Mr. Beef Explained

Mr. Beef
Image Alt:A large white sign with the words "Mr. Beef" and a Coca-Cola logo hangs over a sidewalk. The building of the restaurant is brick with a glass window in the front.
Previous-Owner:Joe Zucchero
Food-Type:Italian beef
Street-Address:666 N Orleans St
City:Chicago
State:Illinois
Postcode:60654
Country:USA
Other-Label:-->

Mr. Beef is an Italian beef restaurant located in River North, Chicago, United States.[1] [2] [3] [4]

Information

The restaurant was founded by Joe Zucchero and originally started out as a stand in 1979. 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. 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 on March 1, 2023,[11] though the restaurant stayed open after his passing.[12] [13]

In popular culture

Along with being featured on The Bear, the restaurant was featured on Food Wars, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[14] [15] and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[16]

References

41.8945°N -87.6374°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Slevarn . Ashok . 2023 . The Founder of Mr. Beef, the Legendary Chicago Italian Beef Stand, Has Died . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230313051224/https://chicago.eater.com/2023/3/6/23627370/joseph-zucchero-mr-beef-on-orleans-obituatry-the-bear-italian-beef-river-north . March 13, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . Eater Chicago.
  2. Web site: Fierro . Iridian . 2022 . Mr. Beef co-owner Chris Zucchero on how popularity of Italian Beef has skyrocketed due to Hulu series 'The Bear' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307182950/https://wgnradio.com/bob-sirott/popularity-of-italian-beef-has-skyrocketed-due-to-hulu-series/ . March 7, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . WGN.
  3. Book: Stern, Jane . Roadfood . Stern . Michael . Broadway Books . 2005 . 9780767908092 . Revised and updated . New York . 56318316.
  4. Book: <!--not given--> . Top 10 Chicago . DK Publishing . 2014 . 9780241355992 . New York.
  5. Book: Stern, Jane . 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late . Stern . Michael . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 2009 . 9780547059075 . 276340904.
  6. Web site: Mr. Beef on Orleans . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230320162832/https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/mr-beef-on-orleans-666-n-orleans-st-chicago/336787 . March 20, 2023 . March 7, 2023 . . en.
  7. Web site: 2017 . Save Mr. Beef! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307042657/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/save-mr-beef_b_167076 . March 7, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . Huffington Post.
  8. Web site: Simon . Scott . 2022 . How Chicago came to love the Italian beef sandwich . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221114192327/https://www.npr.org/2022/07/16/1111868465/chicago-italian-beef-the-bear . November 14, 2022 . March 13, 2023 . NPR.
  9. Web site: Gordinier . Jeff . 2022 . A Conversation with the Guy Who Created The Bear . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230315184908/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a40681092/the-bear-creator-christopher-storer-interview/ . March 15, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . Esquire.
  10. News: Sherman . Rachel . Demand for Italian Beef Is Booming. Thank 'The Bear.' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221114182814/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/09/dining/hulu-the-bear-italian-beef-sandwich.html . November 14, 2022 . March 7, 2023 . New York Times . en.
  11. Web site: Joseph Zucchero Obituary Mar 1, 2023 Park Ridge, IL . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240701111655/https://www.cooneyfuneralhome.com/obituary/Joseph-Zucchero . July 1, 2024 . 20 September 2024 . Cooney Funeral Home . Joseph Zachary Zucchero passed away unexpectedly on March 1, 2023 at the age of 69. [...] Joseph was born on February 21, 1954..
  12. News: March 6, 2023 . Joe Zucchero, longtime owner of Mr. Beef, dies at 69 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230308045551/https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/joe-zucchero-founder-of-mr-beef-dies-at-69/ . March 8, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . CBS Chicago . Joseph Zucchero, founder of the famous Mr. Beef Italian beef stand in River North, has died. Cooney Funeral Home said Zucchero passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday [March 1] of last week. He was 69..
  13. News: March 6, 2023 . Founder of Chicago's iconic Mr. Beef dies at 69 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307042653/https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/founder-of-chicagos-iconic-mr-beef-dies-at-69 . March 7, 2023 . March 7, 2023 . FOX 32 Chicago . en . Sun-Times Media Wire.
  14. News: Mitchell . Dan . 2009 . Bank Hogties Chicago's Mr. Beef, a Leno Favorite . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307042653/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bank-hogties-chicagos-mr-beef-a-leno-favorite/ . March 7, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . CBS News.
  15. Web site: Gentile . Jay . 2016 . How the Italian Beef Became the Iconic Sloppy Sandwich of Chicago . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314095051/https://www.thrillist.com/eat/chicago/history-of-chicagos-iconic-italian-beef-sandwich . March 14, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . Thrillist.
  16. News: Riley . Marcus . 2013 . Jimmy Fallon "Freaked Out" By Mr. Beef . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307042657/https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/jimmy-fallon-freaked-out-by-mr-beef/2048016/ . March 7, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . NBC Chicago.

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