“Every Second Counts”: Representing Chicago’s Urban Identity in the TV Series The Bear
Keywords:
Chicago, The Bear, gastronomy, city identity, sense of place
Abstract
The article examines Chicago’s identity through the portrayal of the city’s hospitality industry in the comedy-drama series The Bear. The daily operations of the show’s main diner, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, serve as a metaphor for the complexities of work encountered by the entire hospitality sector. The diner’s staff are presented within the context of the Kitchen Brigade system, with its transparent chain of command outlining the workers’ hierarchy. The show’s overview of the city’s gastronomy reflects Chicago’s ethnic history. The article analyses how the series broadens its focus from depicting the hospitality industry to articulating Chicago’s identity by portraying the city’s emblematic culinary locations, visual displays of architectural landmarks, and the soundtrack representing the city’s distinctive music. The sense of place expressed through the sign “Every Second Counts” reflects anxiety in the hospitality industry and denotes the characters’ adaptation to the city’s dynamics.
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Appadurai, A. (1990). Disjuncture and Difference. Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 7, 295-310.
Arseneau, J. (2023, July 31). Superdawg drive-in is a time capsule in Chicago. ABC Eyewitness News. Retrieved from https://abc7chicago.com/superdawg-chicago-drive-in-gladstone-park-hot-dog/13576923/ (13.04.2024).
Belanche, D. Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C. (2017). Understanding the cognitive, affective and evaluative components of social urban identity: determinants, measurements, and practical consequences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 50, 138-153.
Brulotte, R. L, Di Giovine, M. A. (2014). Introduction: Food and Foodways as Cultural Heritage. In R. L. Brulotte and M. A. Di Giovine (Eds.), Edible Identities: Food as Cultural Heritage. Farnham, England: Ashgate, 1-27.
Chicago’s Staple: Margie’s Candies in Bucktown. MG Group. Retrieved from https://mggroupchicago.com/chicago-staple-margies-candies-in-bucktown/ (13.04.2024).
Connell J., Gibson, C. (2003). Sound Tracks: Popular Music, Identity and Place. London and New York: Routledge.
Donovan, T. (2024, April 4). As ‘Illinois’ Comes to Broadway, the Meaning Behind “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens. American Songwriter. Retrieved from https://americansongwriter.com/as-illinois-approaches-broadway-the-meaning-behind-chicago-by-sufjan-stevens/ (19.04.2024).
Erfani, G. (2022). Reconceptualising Sense of Place: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Investigating Individual-Community-Place Interrelations. Journal of Planning Literature, vol, 37(3), 452-466.
Gabaccia, D. R. (1998). We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans. Harvard: Harvard UP.
Guidara, W. (2022). Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. New York: Optimism Press.
Jones, C., Svejenova, S. (2017). The architecture of city identities: A multimodal study of Barcelona and Boston. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, vol. 54B, 1-42.
Koeck, R., Penz, F. (2003). Screen city legibility. City, vol. 7(3), 364-375.
Kraig, B. (2004). Restaurants. In J. L. Reiff, A. Durkin Keating, and J. R. Grossman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1066.html (22.07.2024).
Krasny, M. (2020). Advancing Environmental Education Practice. Itaca and London: Cornell University Press.
Latreille, J. (2024, January 25). 13 Facts You Should Know About The Iconic French Laundry. Tasting Table. Retrieved from https://www.tastingtable.com/1495893/facts-about-french-laundry-restaurant/ (27.07.2025).
Lees, L., Slater, T., Wyly, E. (2008). Gentrification. London and New York: Routledge.
Legacy. Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legacy (26.07.2024).
Livert, D. (2024). A Psychology of Food, Cooks, and Cooking. London and New York: Lexington Books.
Lukinbeal, C., Zimmermann, S. (2008). A Cinematic World. In C. Lukinbeal and S. Zimmermann (Eds.), The Geography of Cinema - A Cinematic World. Stuttgart: Steiner Verlag, 15-23.
Matavulj, M. Carbide and Carbon Building. Chicago Architecture Center. Retrieved from https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/buildings-of-chicago/carbide-and-carbon-building (27.07.2025).
McAllister, J. (2004). Chicago Sound. In J. L. Reiff, A. Durkin Keating, and J. R. Grossman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/267.html (19.07.2024).
McClelland, N. (2023, October 16). An Inside Look at The Bear’s Famous Sandwich. L’Officiel. Retrieved from https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/the-bear-italian-beef-sandwich-inside-look-chicago (1.04.2024)
Miller, L. M. (2019). We Need to Change How We Think About Gentrification. National Civic Review, vol. 107(4), 25-35.
Molavi, M., Mardoukhi, Z., Jalili, F. (2016). Utilization of Place-Making Approach in Urban Spaces Using Historic Mansions Attractions. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, vol. 11(4), 60-73.
Mortel, A. (2024, January 18). All the Chicago spots seen in season two of The Bear. Choose Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.choosechicago.com/blog/dining/chicago-locations-the-bear/ (13.04.2024).
Muktiono, A. (2024). Revealing city identity through a semiotic approach: analysis of city elements. Journal of Data Science, vol. 1, Retrieved from: https://ejournal.seaninstitute.or.id/index.php/visualization/article/view/3919 (16.07.2025).
Muran, T. Auguste Escoffier: Founder of Modern Cuisine. The International Wine and Food Society. Retrieved from https://www.iwfs.org/americas/wine-food---friends-1/articles/auguste-escoffier--founder-of-modern-cuisine (5.03.2024).
Nowell-Smith, G. (2001). Cities: Real and Imagined. In M. Shield and T. Fitzmaurice (Eds.), Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context. Malden, USA: Blackwell, 99-108.
Nurture. Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nurture (1.08.2024).
Parham, S. (2015). Food and Urbanism: The Convivial City and a Sustainable Future. London and New York: Bloomsbury.
Poe, T. N. (2004). Foodways. In J. L. Reiff, A. Durkin Keating, and J. R. Grossman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/470.html. (19.07.2024).
Rushton, J. (2020, November 18). The Kitchen Hierarchy Explained. CPD Online College. Retrieved from https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/business/the-kitchen-hierarchy-explained-kitchen-roles/ (5.03.2024).
Ruth, D. E. (2004). Crime and Chicago’s Image. In J. L. Reiff, A. Durkin Keating, and J. R. Grossman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/352.html (19.04. 2024).
Shiel M. (2001) Cinema and the City in History and Theory. In M. Shield and T. Fitzmaurice (Eds.), Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context. Malden, USA: Blackwell, 1-18.
Solesbury, W. (2021). City Identity: Drawn from Intrinsic, Inherited and Imported Characteristics. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholar Publishing.
Storer, C. (Creator). (2022-2025). The Bear [seasons 1-4]. Hulu.
Taste of Chicago. Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/taste_of_chicago.html (13.04.2024).
Trubek, A. B. (2008). The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey Into Terroir. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Weiner, L. Y. (2004). Work Culture. In J. L. Reiff, A. Durkin Keating, and J. R. Grossman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1382.html (21.07.2024).
Zawila, Z. (2024, July 2). All the Chef Cameos in ‘The Bear’ Season 3, Explained. Bon Appétit. Retrieved from https://www.bonappetit.com/story/chef-cameos-the-bear-season-three (25.07.2024).
Published
2026-06-30
How to Cite
[1]
Martynuska, M. 2026. “Every Second Counts”: Representing Chicago’s Urban Identity in the TV Series The Bear. Perspectives on Culture. 53, 2 (Jun. 2026), 75-92.
Section
Movement(s) and Identity
Copyright (c) 2026 Perspectives on Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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