- Title: FRANCE: Restaurant hands back Michelin star to boost business
- Date: 24th June 2011
- Summary: NIMES, FRANCE (JUNE 22, 2011) (REUTERS) LE LISITA RESTAURANT, OPPOSITE ROMAN ARENA IN NIMES FOOD BEING PREPARED IN KITCHENS OLIVIER DOUET, CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT LE LISITA IN KITCHENS DOUET WITH FOOD VARIOUS FOOD PREPARATION (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT OLIVIER DOUET SAYING: "Since we got our star in 2006, we wanted to create a five-star hotel which was completely linked to the restaurant with the star. But in the meantime, there was the financial crisis and the banks didn't want to follow us on the project. So today, we took the decision, given our location and the structure of the building to suspend our star so that we can adapt ourselves to the area as much as possible." VARIOUS KITCHEN INTERIORS FOOD BEING SERVED TO CLIENTS DESSERT ON A PLATE DUCK FILLET BEING SLICED FOOD BEING LAID OUT ON PLATES (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT OLIVIER DOUET SAYING: "In the days of the star we had a 29-euro menu. This menu still exists but now it's the most expensive menu. But the quality of the dishes is the same as we did before, when we were a restaurant with a star." (SOUNDBITE) (French) SENIOR ENTREES CHEF QUENTIN BONET SAYING: "The foie gras is still available, but only a la carte and no longer on the menu. Before, when it was on the menu, people could pick it but now it's a la carte. All the high-end products have now gone a la carte and are no longer on the fixed-price menu." VARIOUS FOOD BEING CARRIED OUT TO CLIENTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) A REGULAR CLIENT, SAID, SAYING: "The quality is still there, precision and the freshness of the dishes are still there. And the service hasn't changed." VARIOUS CLIENTS EATING ON TERRACE
- Embargoed: 9th July 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France, France
- Country: France
- Topics: Business,Industry,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA30KZWDR3457HID1CMLJ60TDZN
- Story Text: The Michelin star has long been viewed as the ultimate reward for a restaurant, but one establishment in the south of France has handed its star back, saying it prefers to boost its trade rather than its image.
In a move that will undoubtedly ruffle feathers in France's conservative culinary establishment, the Le Lisita restaurant in the city of Nimes has turned in its star and will focus on being a high-end brasserie instead.
Chef Olivier Douet, also co-owner of the restaurant and some of his clients insist that quality of the venue or of the food will not change with the demise of the star. But what will go will be the high manpower and materials costs associated with running a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Douet says the credit crunch led him to reconsider whether it was really worth hanging onto his star, which the establishment won in 2006.
At the time, he says he wanted to open a five-star hotel that could feed the restaurant.
"But in the meantime, there was the financial crisis and the banks didn't want to follow us on the project," he told Reuters Television.
So he decided to return to basics and offer the same food but without having to pay the heavy costs that are needed to lavish attention on clients of Michelin-starred restaurants, such as extra waiting staff.
"In the days of the star we had a 29-euro menu. This menu still exists but now it's the most expensive menu. But the quality of the dishes is the same as we did before, when we were a restaurant with a star," he said.
High-end foods such as foie gras, which were de rigueur on the menu have now been bumped off the fixed-price offering and are now only available a la carte -- at a price.
The clients, however, seem happy enough and not too worried by the star-less status of their favourite eatery.
"The quality is still there, precision and the freshness of the dishes are still there. And the service hasn't changed," said one patron, Said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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