In the award-winning TV series The Bear, viewers follow Carmy Berzatto, a classically trained and prodigiously talented chef trying to transform his late brother’s scrappy Chicago sandwich shop into a fine-dining restaurant. The contrast is stark. On one side, a high-end culinary vision, on the other, the daily grind of making sandwiches to pay the bills.
Through all the ups and downs, the sandwich window keeps orders moving, customers coming, and cash flowing, as Carmy and his team work toward something more refined.
It’s an unexpectedly perfect metaphor for the aftermarket.
While manufacturers invest in product innovation, factory automation, and new-market expansion, the spare parts business quietly delivers dependable, high-margin revenue. It may not be glamorous. But it’s steady. Predictable. Profitable. And in today’s environment, that counts for a lot.
Predictability in an Uncertain World
In many ways, the aftermarket is the sandwich window of manufacturing—a dependable, service-led offering that sustains the business when new equipment sales slow or the global outlook shifts.
OEMs today are navigating tighter capital budgets, rising input costs, supply chain disruption, and increasing customer expectations amid rising economic uncertainty. At the same time, asset lifecycles are getting longer. Customers want greater uptime and faster service, increasing service demand and complexity. Patience for delays is wearing thin.
Against this backdrop, the aftermarket offers something rare—predictable, recurring revenue. According to McKinsey, aftermarket services generate up to 30% of total revenue and more than half of profits for many industrial manufacturers. Yet they’re often left out of strategic conversations.
Why?
Because the aftermarket doesn’t always shine on a slide deck. It lacks the excitement of a new product launch or a breakthrough innovation. But just like the sandwich window in The Bear, it’s what keeps the business running.
A Strategic Lever Hiding in Plain Sight
For CFOs and COOs looking to balance cost control with sustainable growth, the aftermarket provides a compelling lever. It serves an existing customer base. It avoids the acquisition costs associated with net-new sales. It can scale more efficiently. And when powered by the right technology, it offers deep visibility into customer behavior, asset performance, and future demand.
But to unlock that value, the aftermarket can’t remain siloed. It requires coordination across service, supply chain, pricing, and product teams. It requires better use of data to manage inventory, predict parts demand, and dynamically adjust pricing based on real-world conditions. And it requires a mindset shift: from treating service as an obligation to seeing it as a competitive differentiator.
Lessons From the Kitchen
Carmy’s pursuit of fine dining doesn’t negate the value of the sandwich window—it depends on it. In the same way, future-forward OEMs can’t afford to overlook the business right in front of them. Strategic ambitions and steady execution aren’t in conflict; they complement each other.
If manufacturers want to build resilience, protect margin, and stay close to their customers, the aftermarket is the place to start. Not just as a service function, but as a strategic pillar.
Because while customers may occasionally crave the fine-dining experience, they count on the sandwich. Every day.