Yes Chef

[LaurenClev]

Recently, Square placed a new billboard right above the iconic Mr Beef restaurant in Chicago. 

I know this put a smile on my face and made me want to rewatch Season 1 and 2 of The Bear. 😁

Curious for all you restaurant owners and operators out there -- 

Have you watched The Bear? Does it hit close to home with what you've experienced in the Food + Bev industry?  What episodes or moments gave you the most anxiety -- or the most satisfaction? 🤣

[mksavage]

That's awesome @LaurenClev! Everyone keeps telling me to watch The Bear, but I honestly can't watch any behind-the-scenes types restaurant/food industry movies or shoes. They hit way too close to home and I'm immediately stressing about work. I watched Ratatouille with my five-year-old last week and I was like "nope, hard pass on rats in the kitchen" haha. 

[LaurenClev]

OH my gosh, @mksavage  I literally just laughed out loud. I have to admit, I have never thought about what watching Ratatouille would be like as an owner/operator -- where finding that many rats in your kitchen would be a MAJOR situation. Definitely not warm, fuzzy, or cute! HAHA

I can totally understand how that would give you a different type of PTSD! 

And yes, if you think Ratatouille is bad -- The Bear is so much more intense. 😵

[ryanwanner]

Okay that's pretty cool @LaurenClev !

Yes, I will admit to watching The Bear, and PTSD issues aside (the sight of that neverending kitchen printer in season 1 literally made me twitch in agony...) I really felt that it did a lot of things right in the restaurant industry. It's not all fun and games and oh boy do egos get in the way. But the overall message of hope and the desire to become better at everything you're doing resonates with me. I can't wait for Season 3!

[LaurenClev]

That kitchen printer scene is burned in my memory too! 

But to your point -- so is that episode in season 2 (Episode 7: Forks) where Richie interns at the fancy restaurant and finally understands the value of incredible service and finds his purpose. What a freaking episode! And its got that Taylor Swift moment at the end. Just wow! 

[ryanwanner]

@LaurenClev  that ep is probably the one that rang true to me the most. My business is nowhere near the level of the restaurant they depicted, but I do fully believe in the idea of anticipating the guest's needs. I even bought the book Ritchie was reading, Unreasonable Hospitality. What a read!

[LaurenClev]

Ah! I love that! 

Calling @Pesso -- Maybe Unreasonable Hospitality should be a future Square Readers Book Club book?! And @ryanwanner can share some of his favorite takeaways from the book? 😉

[Pesso]

Those are by far my two favorite episodes -- all about the Episodes 7s! Major anxiety from the first, and major satisfaction from the second. 

Oooooooh, thank you so much! Absolutely will be adding that book to the voting! Thank you both!

[SSB_YVR]

Absolutely LOVE The Bear. I find its the best and most accurate representation of a working kitchen.
The scene with the printer.... that 💩 fuels my nightmares, I swear to Jebus. So glad we moved to a KDS haha

[maxpete]

Haha yes, so much PTSD from that episode!

[LaurenClev]

Same! 

I remember visiting Oakland, CA and interviewing the owners of Square powered restaurant there. They mentioned that printer scene happened to them in REAL LIFE and everyone in the room shuddered in PTSD. 😅

The anxiety from that episode is just too real!