Is The Bear Actually Filmed In Chicago?
It may be cliche to say, but the city of Chicago is as much of a character on "The Bear" as any of the employees at the restaurant. The Windy City oozes through the characters' mannerisms and actions, but many shows claim to film somewhere only to actually shoot somewhere else. It can be pretty easy to spot in some cases with Los Angeles-style palm trees found in a series supposedly set in the Midwest.
However, "The Bear" stays true to its roots by actually filming in Chicago. In April 2023, The Record North Shore reported how trailers and trucks for "The Bear" production team could be spotted on Old Glenview Road. There were also reports the show would film in the nearby town of Evanston for certain scenes. This is similar to how it went for the show's first season, which filmed heavily at Mr. Beef on Orelans Street as well as Evanston.
Season 2 of "The Bear" was shot in and around Chicago from February 21 to April 28, 2023. It was a fast turnaround for the season to come out on Hulu on June 22 that same year, but then again, "The Bear" has always been about running against the clock and dealing with stress.
The Bear is one of many recent shows to actually film around Chicago
"The Bear" is just one of many shows to call Chicago home. "South Side" and "The Chi" have set up shop in the Windy City, and that's not even getting into Dick Wolf's massive "One Chicago" franchise, which has the likes of "Chicago Fire," "Chicago Med," and "Chicago P.D." filming nearby. People may think Atlanta has been making inroads in overtaking Hollywood as a filmmaking hub, but one shouldn't ignore Chicago in that race.
Chicago is a big city, and it's regularly been used as a setting in major productions like "Home Alone" and "The Blues Brothers." However, the state of Illinois has made great gains in recent years to attract more shows to the area. It's done this through tax credits to incentivize studios to film in the state, with Variety having the following quote from Governor J.B. Pritzker, "This is why in 2022, the $700 million production revenue in our state shattered records and eclipsed our pre-pandemic revenue numbers. I attribute this success to our expanded film production tax credit as well as our diversity, inclusivity and commitment to equity."
A major film or television production can bring significant revenue to an area, which is why many states have invested in programs to attract more film crews. That's not even getting into tourism possibilities. Needless to say, plenty of people will want to visit Chicago to see all of the real-life locations productions like "The Bear" film at.