Get that beef dipped: FX has renewed The Bear

Hopefully you don’t mind leaving garbage out on the street to claim your parking spot before it snows or listening exclusively to Wilco, because we’re all going to be spending a little more time in Chicaaago (and by “we” we mean the TV-viewing audience, not specifically the LA-based A.V. Club). That’s because FX has renewed hit dramedy The Bear for a second season, giving us at least a few more episodes of beef, green peppers, and specific Chicago references that are weirdly off to some viewers.

The series stars former Shameless star Jeremy Allen White as a fancy chef who takes over the family’s blue-collar Italian beef sandwich place in Chicago’s River North neighborhood (which also used to be a good place to settle down and make a website), forcing him to deal with his new staff, the struggles of owning a small business, and the grief of his brother’s recent death. The Bear also stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, and the always-good Ayo Edebiri.

In a statement, FX Entertainment’s president Eric Schrier said that The Bear “has exceeded our wildest creative, critical, and commercial expectations,” and highlighted Jeremy Allen White’s “spectacular” performance. Co-showrunner Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo also saluted the crew “who worked hard, fast, and in the dead of winter,” as well as “everyone who watched.” (We just hope the crew remembered to claim their parking spots before it snowed, which is a joke we’re making again because it’s one of the best Chicago references we know that doesn’t involve hot dogs or baseball.)

The Bear just premiered on June 23, and even though this was a pretty speedy renewal, we’re going to assume that season two won’t premiere until at least next year. After all, Chicago in the summer is just as uncomfortable as Chicago in the winter, so FX is going to want to find that sweet spot when the weather is nice for a couple days to film the new season.