"Yes, chef" mixed with "Yes, chief" for three days as the makers of "The Bear" filmed scenes in an Illinois hospital's waiting area, parking lot and a patient room fitted as a labor and delivery suite.
Leaders at Endeavor Health's hospital in Skokie, Ill., built a recipe for success to accommodate the 200-plus film crew, according to a news release from the Evanston, Ill.-based system.
"The Bear" is a hit Hulu television show about a Chicago restaurant and the complex lives of its workers. Although the series is a gritty representation of the chaotic restaurant industry, the system's employees catered to ensure the filming process was smooth and did not obstruct patient care or satisfaction.
"While they didn't call each other 'chef,' the Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital operations team worked together like a seasoned brigade de cuisine to prepare for the massive influx of people and equipment, while always keeping patient experience and care as the top priority," the release said.
The hospital's facilities manager, Chris Wheeler, and his team prepped and served most of the logistics.
"There were times they needed ladders, or they randomly wanted a bathroom door removed," Mr. Wheeler said. "We had to figure it out on the fly."
Besides joining Jamie Lee Curtis (Donna Berzatto, "The Bear") for dinner, the Endeavor leadership team savored this opportunity by ordering prototypes of signage to premier its new brand.
"From a marketing standpoint, it was a great opportunity to showcase the beauty, quality care and warmth of Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital to the world," said Kim Caviness, Endeavor's marketing team system design and content director.
The scenes can be viewed in season three, episode eight of the show.