Eric and Robin Gagnon talk to French cuisine experts Gwen Denninghoff and Christine Taylor from Le Metro Creperie, and Georgia Gronefeld from Amelie’s Bakery on their weekly Restaurant Radio show.
Ever since Julia Child went to Paris and authored her classic debut cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in the 1960’s, Americans have delighted in the tastes, smells and delights of French cuisine. While French cooking used to only take place in upscale restaurants, we are now seeing fast casual concepts deliver the food these palates have come to love. The restaurant brokers allow French cuisine to take center stage on their radio show with operators who are making French food and a little Parisian culture accessible to the American audience.
Listen as one guest explains the phenomena of French cooking by saying “It starts with basic ingredients and builds to great things.” Another guests tells us they had to “southernize” their French food a bit to meet the taste of their customers. Christine Taylor of Le Metro Creperie tells the restaurant brokers they have to educate customers on the quintessential French item, the crepe by saying, “It’s like a French quesadilla.” This week our guests reveal the secret to their success for casual concepts that are based on cuisine! These operators tell us, “French cuisine is not a journey through flavors, it’s a destination on its own!” Tune in this week to learn firsthand why we say “Ooh la, la, you don’t want to miss this episode.”
The restaurant brokers take on restaurant reality in their popular segment and talk about specializing in one cuisine can create its own set of challenges and opportunities. Restaurant Broker Robin Gagnon reminds listeners that “You live by your reputation and if you build around a model that presents a certain type of cuisine or around a single type of food, you have to be flawless in the execution.” Eric reminds foodies, would-be restaurateurs and operators that if you specialize, you can’t forget ambiance. He says today’s guests “got high marks from customers for their style. They didn’t just put out a menu that said ‘hey we’re French” – they brought on designers and created a totally unique French experience.”
Listen to the entire restaurant radio show live on Atlanta radio station WGKA, TALK 920 on Saturday at noon or the rebroadcast Sunday at 1 PM on Biz 1190.
This Week’s Guests:
Gwen Denninghoff and Christine Taylor, Le Metro Creperie
The Mother-and-daughter team! Christine Taylor and Gwen Denninghoff launched their business, Le Metro Creperie, in Atlanta, just this past January.
Gwen Denninghoff, attended SCAD where she obtained a BFA in Production Design, which came in handy when it was time to design and build out Le Metro Creperie. While at SCAD, she also worked at Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady and Sons, which gave her an opportunity to see first-hand how lucrative the restaurant industry can be. She loves food, travel, and her family, and is married to Logan Denninghoff, an Atlanta based actor and henchman to her business scheming.
Georgia Gronefeld, Amelie’s French Bakery
Georgia Gronefeld is the Operating Manager and Head Chef at Amelie’s French Bakery. Amelie’s is a neighborhood bakery with an intoxicating Parisian shabby-chic ambience. It has been described by one customer as a perfectly non-judgmental social utopia. The bakery started in Charlotte North Carolina’s Arts District and has spread to a second location in Charlotte, another in Rock Hill, South Carolina and recently, Amelie’s Atlanta. Georgia has been with Amelie’s for the past 7 years after studying Baking and Pastry Arts at Johnson and Whales University.
About We Sell Restaurants
We Sell Restaurants is the nation’s largest restaurant brokerage firm specializing in restaurants wanted (restaurants for sale), leasing a restaurant and franchise restaurant resales. The We Sell Restaurants brand is known nationwide for professionalism, industry knowledge, and unmatched service. They can be found online at www.wesellrestaurants.com. The firm is franchising their brand nationwide and has offices in Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Tennessee and South Carolina.
The We Sell Restaurants radio show is on the air every Saturday at noon in Atlanta on Talk920 and every Sunday at 1PM on Biz 1190. It is available for download on iTunes as well.