Mr. Beef Italian stall and eatery creator Joseph Zucchero, also known as Joe Zucchero, died on March 1, 2023. He was 69. Eater Chicago broke the news of his death first. Zucchero had been fighting non-Hodgkin cancer for more than 20 years, according to the story. Fans of Mr. Beef’s eatery were shocked to learn of his death. Joe Zucchero opened the Italian Beef eatery in Chicago’s River North area over 40 years ago, in 1979.
Joe Zucchero’s son gives homage to his father on Instagram, as accolades flood in from all over the world.
Christopher Zucchero, Joe Zucchero’s son, shared an emotional Instagram message in which he shared a photo of Joe and wrote,
“Today, a piece of myself, my family, and Mr. Beef perished. I was extraordinarily fortunate to be this man’s son.”
Christopher went on to say,
“Most children never meet their fathers. I spent every awake minute of my existence in some way with him. If there is a Paradise, I expect to see you there, Papa. And I expect to see you again soon. Zucchero, Joseph Zachary From February 21st, 1954 to March 1st, 2023.”
Criminal Minds star Joe Mantegna also gave homage to Zucchero, tweeting that his wife stunned him on his birthday 35 years ago with a celebration provided by Mr. Beef in Chicago. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois also paid homage to Joe. He wrote on Twitter:
Joe Zucchero, founder of Mr. Beef, inspiration for FX show ‘The Bear,’ dead at 69 https://t.co/YR7bjHqBpy
— Angie Myers (@floorinit) March 7, 2023
R.I.P. Joe Zucchero. Still my favorite beef sandwich in the city of Chicago. #Chicago #MrBeef #BeefSandwich https://t.co/E3z17zcjwB
— Stan Stankos (@stanstankos) March 6, 2023
On Twitter, tributes continued to flood in, with many hailing Zucchero as a Chicago legend. Joe’s tribute was also published by Cooney Funeral Home, which stated,
“Over the last 40+ years, Joe has been able to develop his eatery into a Chicago institution through his ability to interact with people from all areas of life through a common passion of cuisine.”
When will Joe Zucchero’s viewing be held? Learn everything there is to know about Mr. Beef’s eatery.
According to CBS News, Joe Zucchero’s viewing will take place on March 11 at 9 a.m. at Park Ridge’s Cooney Funeral Home. Mr. Beef eatery recently gained fame after being featured on the renowned FX diner thriller The Bear. Zucchero and his sibling Dominic created the famous Italian kiosk. They started it in 1979 and offered inexpensive slow-cooked hamburgers.
Mr. Beef’s eatery had its ups and downs and was about to close in 2009 due to bank debt procedures. They did, however, persevere and become well-known for their high-quality cuisine. Particularly, Mr. Beef’s burger is regarded as one of Chicago’s finest and most famous dishes.
