NYC Restaurants Pull Together To Support City's French Eateries

New York 1 News ^ | 4/11/03 | Elizabeth Gerst

[jimbo123]

France's refusal to support the U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq has some New York diners in a stew, and French restaurants have been feeling the heat. Now, an effort is afoot to get New Yorkers to change their minds.

NY1's Elizabeth Gerst reports.

Some of the city's top chefs and restaurateurs teamed up at Le Cirque Thursday, to encourage diners to say "Oui" to French cuisine.

The event, organized by NYC & Company, was an effort to bolster restaurants bruised by a backlash against France. Though some stopped short of calling it an official boycott, many acknowledged they have been hurt by anti-French sentiment.

“It's definitely something going on,” said Eric Ripert, a chef at Le Bernadin. “We lost a party of 20 people and the customer called us and said my customer is boycotting the French so we cannot come to your place.”

At Le Perigord, business is down about 50 percent, forcing layoffs for the first time in its history. La Grenouille, which is owned by an American, has still received some anti-French prank calls, and says bookings are slower. The owner, Charles Masson, placed a sign in the window to tame tensions.

“We've reminded our customers that although we do serve French cuisine and have been doing so for 40 years, the restaurant is an American corporation, many of our employees are American, and we pay taxes to the United States as well,” Masson said.

Industry-boosters say no matter who owns the restaurant, a boycott will backfire.

“It is absolutely against our own self-interest as a city to start singling out people because of their supposed nationality, when we know, for example, the owners of Le Cirque are Italian,” said Tim Zagat of Zagat Surveys. “Their employees are from all over the world, and they’re all New Yorkers. Do we want to hurt them?”

To spur spending, NYC & Company unveiled an ad which reminds diners to keep New York's melting pot cooking.

“Our strength is our diversity and there is room for everyone at New York's collective dinner table,” said Cristyne Nicolas, the president of NYC & Company.

But observers warn, until French-American tensions thaw, that dinner table may still have some empty chairs.

[jimbo123]

There are many wonderful non-French restaurants in NYC.

[camle]

le helle avec les frenchies

[Support Free Republic]

God bless our troops. Come home safe, and soon.

[ken5050]

If they had any smarts....they'd announce that with every dinner they'd serve a FREE bottle of NY State wine....

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

No snails for me, thanks.

[InvisibleChurch]

Premier NYC French Restaurant to Close
Premier French Restaurant in NYC, Lespinasse, to Close Next Week Because of Economy

The Associated Press



NEW YORK April 11 —
One of Manhattan's premier French restaurants, Lespinasse, announced it would close next week because it couldn't turn a profit in the current economic climate.

The 12-year-old restaurant in the midtown St. Regis Hotel was favored for its sumptuous beige and gold antique decor and prize-winning wine list and cuisine.

Lespinasse was one of six Manhattan restaurants with a four-star rating from The New York Times.

The owners and St. Regis managers said business had fallen off, due in part to world events that have kept patrons at home. The restaurant will close April 19.

Guenter H. Richter, managing director of the St. Regis, said, "We carried it as long as we could. Any reopening will be determined by the pace of the economic recovery."

There was no indication that the closing was due to anti-French sentiment over France's opposition to the war in Iraq. The city tourism agency, NYC & Company, said some French restaurants have suffered, though no formal boycott was evident.

[KellyAdmirer]

New York City's French restaurants that I used to patronize tend to be overpriced and the food and service underwhelming. Most survive on company expense accounts. Shareholders will tend to be better off if businessmen eat cheaper elsewhere.

[theDentist]

If the French eatery is owned by Americans and not directly tied to France, then I'd see no problem with going. But if it is owned by a French company, conglomerate, etc, then they better start thinking of changing the menu and name.

[sheik yerbouty]

Les Francais doit aller au feu! Let them eat snails!

[SpinyNorman]

“It is absolutely against our own self-interest as a city to start singling out people because of their supposed nationality, when we know, for example, the owners of Le Cirque are Italian,” said Tim Zagat of Zagat Surveys. “Their employees are from all over the world, and they’re all New Yorkers. Do we want to hurt them?”

Why would Italians cook French food? French food is garbage compared to good Italian food (Is there bad Italian food?)

[Alberta's Child]

I wonder how many NYC restaurants are closing because of the city's smoking ban.

[Alouette]

Here is a compromise: eat at kosher French restaurants.

[SirAllen]

The problem is that even though some of these white flag restaurants are owned by Americans, they still support the french by buying french ingredients and wines from the white flag country.

[jiggyboy]

Why would Italians cook French food?

LOL, you'll need a sack of Valium for your first trip to Silicon Valley. Mexicans do the show at some of the Benihana's.

[finnman69]

I wonder how many NYC restaurants are closing because of the city's smoking ban.

Probably none. Most people don't like to breath smoke wheile they eat.

[Enduring Freedom]

We in America do not eat at a 'collective' table.

We dine in liberty among friends only because of the strength of our national defense, and our willingness to fight to the death for our freedom.

Live free or die.

The only thing I like about the French are the women - hot, tasty treats dressed in tight minis and loose morals.

[kellynla]

Solution: If the restaurants are not French owned all they have to do is put a sign outside "USA Owned" and if they are French owned put a sign outside "For Sale"

[kellynla]

"For Sale" pun intended...

[Eala]

>I wonder how many NYC restaurants are closing because of the city's smoking ban.
Probably none. Most people don't like to breath smoke wheile they eat.

Except the French. The bouchons in Lyon last December were heavy with smoke; I saw people chain-smoking their way through their meals.

[garyhope]

"Is there bad Italian food?"

I agree with you in prinicple, I love Italian food, but have you ever been forced to eat (at gunpoint) at an Olive Garden "Restaurant"? Case closed. Of course Olive Garden's are not real Italian restaurants.