This post contains spoilers for seasons one and two of The Bear.
Hot off its win of three Golden Globes and ten Emmys, everyone is buzzing about The Bear, FX’s comedy-drama series about the high-pressure environment of a sandwich-shop-turned-fine-dining-restaurant in Chicago.
Season two of the hit show follows Chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto’s journey to transform a humble family business into a high-end establishment (now named: “The Bear”). The realities of the foodservice industry are on full display, showcasing its delicious highs and bitter lows as The Bear’s team develops new menus, knocks down drywall, and races toward opening day with a heaping cup of determination and a steady drizzle of chaos.
As viewers discover, most consumers see only a fraction of the many moving parts that go into their dining experiences. It may be calm and peaceful in the dining room, but beyond the kitchen doors, it’s often anything but.
The series shines a spotlight on the critical role played by foodservice partners like vendors and suppliers, emphasizing what really goes on behind the scenes.
In this post, we’ll break down some of the foodservice elements considered by Carmy’s team as they work toward the dream of a Michelin Star restaurant. Then, we’ll explore examples of how different foodservice partners can support real-world restaurants by leveraging market intelligence from Brizo FoodMetrics.
Photo: FX
Early in season two, chef de cuisine Sydney is in search of inspiration for The Bear’s new menu. A hunger-inducing montage depicts her taking a self-guided food tour of Chicago’s best restaurants.
From longanisa sausage at Kasama (the world’s first Michelin-Starred Filipino restaurant) to an ice cream sundae at Margie’s Candies, she soaks up all the flavors the city has to offer. Sydney’s brain and taste buds are simmering as she takes notes on her discoveries and brainstorms exciting new ways to combine ingredients.
If you’re in the foodservice industry, how can you apply Sydney’s strategy to your business? Enter Brizo FoodMetrics, a market intelligence platform that offers its users a comprehensive restaurant database with unmatched market insights on 1.5+ million establishments.
Inspired by Sydney’s research, food manufacturers and distributors can use Brizo to analyze the market and supercharge their R&D efforts. Franchisers and chains can also scope out what their competitors are doing to help them stay ahead.
Brizo’s comprehensive filters and keyword searches let you discover everything from:
Brizo is the secret sauce operators need to keep pace with the market and get ahead of the innovation game.
Photo: FX
Throughout season 2, the restaurant’s renovations are challenged by everything from failed fire suppression tests to hidden mold. Loveable handyman Neil, played by famed Toronto chef Matty Matheson, is often on site to provide both practical fixes and comic relief.
The number one lesson learned by viewers? Call your Fridge Guy immediately when there’s a problem.
Let’s say you provide equipment or maintenance services for the food industry. What can Brizo FoodMetrics do for you?
Photo: FX
Richie experiences a tremendous amount of character growth during his weeklong internship at Chicago’s prestigious Ever restaurant. His experience helps him understand the mindset necessary to provide outstanding customer service in hospitality. He learns how crucial it is to respect his colleagues, the diners, and (most importantly) himself.
As part of his training, he studies the restaurant’s complex system for front of house management, including reservations, special occasions, and diner preferences. In the show, it’s shown to be quite a manual process, complete with sticky notes and handwritten memos…but could modern technology offer a better way?
Brizo FoodMetrics’ database includes more than just menu items; it also contains data on 500+ restaurant technology solutions. If you’re a restaurant tech provider, understanding the adoption of other cutting-edge tools in the foodservice market can do wonders for your strategic planning and sales success.
With Brizo, you can analyze what technology is currently in use at each restaurant, including:
See which restaurants already utilize your competitors and position your own product accordingly…or, discover which locations are still doing it the old fashioned way and show them how your tech can help!
Photo: FX
As the renovations proceed, Sydney and Carmy face more tough decisions: choosing tableware for the new restaurant. From napkins to glassware, every little detail matters, right down to how much noise a plate makes when placed on the table.
Wondering where you can get the dinnerware used in The Bear’s opening night? All the beautiful plates and bowls seen in the show were sourced from New Jersey-based company Jono Pandolfi.
From luxury ceramics to compostable takeout containers, F&B businesses require more supplies than just food.
Brizo FoodMetrics helps foodservice vendors narrow down restaurant prospects that would be a good fit for their products and services.
Here are just some examples of how businesses can take advantage of Brizo’s extensive database filters:
Photo: FX
As The Bear showed us, hospitality is an incredibly challenging but rewarding industry. Its realistic portrayal of life in a commercial kitchen has educated millions of viewers on what really goes on behind the scenes of their favorite neighborhood restaurant.
Vendors in the foodservice industry are already well aware of these challenges. Suppliers, manufacturers, tech providers, and franchisers all play necessary roles within a large network of players.
For an industry that is constantly in flux, it can be difficult for those vendors to gain a solid understanding of the landscape and how to best manage their business in response.
To better understand the industry and optimize their business operations, foodservice vendors can leverage Brizo FoodMetrics, a powerful market intelligence platform with data on:
Season two of The Bear explores the many interpretations of a particular phrase: “every second counts.” In the spirit of that motto, stop wasting time and start your free trial of Brizo today!
