Updated July 22, 2026 at 3:08 PM EDT
FX's The Bear has returned for its final season — following the high-stakes challenges faced by a restaurant and its staff in the quest for an elusive Michelin star.
But are real- life restaurateurs living The Bear every day in the pursuit of their own Michelin stars? (For their health, we hope not.)
NPR's Morning Edition spoke to chefs Jonathan Sybert and Walter Manzke about the Michelin star restaurants they opened — and subsequently closed. Sybert and Manzke shared both the joys and tensions they faced as they worked to obtain the celebrated restaurant accolade. Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above. And read takeaways from the conversation below.
Hospitality fit for a star
Jonathan Sybert and his partner Jill Tyler opened Tail Up Goat in Washington, D.C. in 2016 with the hope of making an accessible neighborhood favorite. It was the couple's first time opening a restaurant and, within a year, the Michelin Guide awarded the couple's restaurant a star.
"It was something I never really thought would happen to me," Sybert said.
But with a Michelin star, comes Michelin expectations.
At Tail Up Goat, there were no white tablecloths and the staff wore the clothes they walked into the restaurant wearing that day, Sybert explained. This casual atmosphere was a shock to some diners.
"When you have a Michelin star, people kind of have a preconceived notion about what they're walking into when they walk into your restaurant," Sybert said. And despite the clout and recognition receiving a Michelin star brings, Sybert encourages current and aspiring restaurant owners to avoid focusing solely on earning the accolade. "I would never make earning a star the goal," Sybert said. "You can really only control the things you can control, which is you doing the best you can, making the best food that, you know, means something to you every day."
Fine dining excellence, at a cost
In 2025, Sybert and Tyler decided to close Tail Up Goat, concerned about keeping the price of food accessible and in line with the couple's desire to provide fair wages and benefits to their employees. Sybert said the couple has been able to strike that balance at their new Washington D.C. restaurant, Rye Bunny.
Research published in the Strategic Management Journal found that restaurants that earn stars are more likely to close in the subsequent years after gaining their star. The prestige of earning a star frequently came along with landlord rent hikes, petitions to raise employee salaries and greater consumer expectations, the study detailed.
So even if you have a star, the profitability of a restaurant can remain a question.
Still chasing stars
Chef Walter Manzke's Michelin star-winning restaurant, Manzke, opened in 2022. It tied together the flavors of Los Angeles, with Korean, Japanese, Thai and Mexican influences. Critics called it "L.A. fine dining at its absolute best," and it won its star in 2022. But by 2024, Manzke made the decision to close down the award-winning restaurant.
Manzke told NPR that "nobody can forget that a restaurant is a business at the end of the day. And you can't keep going if it's not profitable and paying the bills, you know, which is very challenging in our day."
Some of the challenges being faced by restaurateurs include rising food and labor costs and supply chain disruptions that have increased the price of operating a restaurant. U.S. consumers are also choosing to dine out less frequently,
Despite stepping away from his namesake restaurant, Manzke is still cooking. Republique, also in Los Angeles, is owned and operated by Manzke. Opened in 2014, the restaurant transforms from a French cafe during the day and a fine dining establishment at night.The hope of earning another star is one aspiration that keeps Manzke in the kitchen.
"I think working towards it is one of the most rewarding parts of it because it gives you something to show up at work every day," Manzke said.
This interview was produced by Margaux Bauerlein and edited by Adriana Gallardo. The digital version was edited by Treye Green.
Copyright 2026 NPR
