I first suspected watching The Bear had got under my skin when I started saying “Behind” whenever I went past one of my family in the kitchen. I’m sure they were relieved that I didn’t graduate to barking “Hands!” when I wanted food to be taken to the table…
To my mind, Christopher Storer’s brilliantly written, cast and acted drama about chef Carmen (Carmy) “Bear” Berzatto, played by Jeremy Allen White, is as compelling for its unflinching, warts-and-all depiction of the intense reality of working in a professional kitchen, as for its storyline and finely drawn characters.
Though it’s careful not to preach, here’s what I believe it has to say about working in the hospitality industry:
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Making money’s tough. Uncle Jimmy doesn’t mince his words on the subject of running high-end restaurants: “This business sucks. But this one sucks extra hard, because the profit-margins are non-existent. You gotta give every drop of blood you have. And in return, you know what you’re gonna get? A good kicking every day for the foreseeable future.” Heard.
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It’s a skills academy. There’s some clever sequencing in Part (Season) III when in one episode head chef Carmen teaches Tina how to truss a chicken, and in the next episode Thomas Keller teaches Carmen the same skill on his first day interning at The French Laundry. Keller enthuses: “We’re here to nurture people, we get to be part of people’s lives, and we’re here today because of those who came before us.”
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It facilitates growth. Of all the characters’ ‘journeys’, Tina’s is the most significant. From pot washer when she joins The Original Beef, to resistant saboteur when Carmen takes charge, to testing out her own recipes under the watchful eye of Marcus by the end of Part III, she, more than anyone, recognises the benefits of working in Carmy’s army: “My game has improved 300% since the Bear came. This place is real, and alive, and good.”
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It teaches discipline. Thanks to Carmen arranging for Richie to intern at 3-Michelin-star restaurant Ever, he goes from being a tardy, leather jacket-wearing renegade at The Original Beef, to the early rising, suit-wearing, detail-obsessed Maître d’ of The Bear.
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It instils confidence. This is evidenced as much in at Ibrah’s delight working in the rapid-fire takeaway window crew at The Bear – he repeats “Yes chef!”, almost in disbelief at being called one – as in Tina being told by Sydney that her mashed potatoes are “Great chef, thank you, chef”, and her subsequent look of surprise, pride and validation.
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It provides second chances. Gary “Sweeps” Woods left baseball when he was banned for doping, joined The Original Beef, and in Part III becomes the novice sommelier of The Bear, which gives him new-found purpose. Sydney, meanwhile, turns up at The Original Beef looking to get her career back on track after her catering business went to the wall. However frustrating she finds it working with Carmen, it provides Sydney ample opportunity to showcase her talents.
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It hands people lifelines. Having been made redundant after working 15 years in a local food company, Tina’s desperate to find work to help her family get by. After pounding the streets of the Windy City with no luck, by chance she goes into The Original Beef for a coffee and meets then-owner Michael. Even though he provides her with a laundry list of the downsides of working in a restaurant, she replies: “I’ll clean a dish, I’ll wash a floor. I don’t need to be inspired, or make magic, or save the world. I just wanna feed my kid. Give me a routine and I’m in.” Once hired, her tears of relief speak volumes.
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It provides bonding opportunities. Whether in the quiet of the early morning, or out by the bins during a five-minute break before or after service, rare windows of downtime allow the crew, if only momentarily, to remove their masks of professional invincibility, connect, and voice their hopes and fears.
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It’s often a family affair. However excruciating some of the family drama is to watch – the hour-long ‘Fishes’ episode in Part II gives you all the background you’ll ever need on Carmen’s dysfunctional family – The Bear shows blood is thicker than water. It’s clear neither incarnation of the restaurant would exist without family support, particularly that of Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, Carmen’s sister, who co-signs for Mikey on The Original Beef, project-manages the redevelopment of the restaurant, and in Part III oversees reservations and profitability.
- It can be hilarious. With a nod to the late Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, The Bear shows in glorious, foul-mouthed technicolour just how funny hospitality industry banter can be. The absurd moments provide some much-needed light relief from the show’s weightier subjects, in particular struggles with mental health and addiction.
There’s no two ways about it: working in the hospitality industry, particularly at the entrepreneurial, high end of it, is tough. However, The Bear shows the many benefits it provides to employees and, by extension, to society.
As a have-a-go home cook, regular eater out, and headhunter with numerous clients in the hospitality industry, The Bear honestly makes me proud to be part of it.