Paris Society (Monsieur Bleu, Girafe, Coco…) is expanding its empire in high-end restaurants.
The Accor subsidiary will revive Maxim's, the famous restaurant on rue Royale in Paris, for at least four years.
The Pierre Cardin group, its owner, had launched a consultation to entrust the operation of the premises to a new operator, revealed the magazine
Challenges
.
"Maxim's is an incredible brand and place with a history and mythical decoration, listed and in very good condition,"
says Laurent de Gourcuff, founding president of Paris Society.
We were chosen on Tuesday among other candidates
.
The entrepreneur is aiming for more than ten million euros in annual turnover.
Reserved for several years for prestigious private events, the new Maxim's restaurant will reopen by the summer and will offer French cuisine and jazzy musical entertainment all year round.
A cocktail bar will occupy the second floor and a terrace on the third.
“The idea is to revive the Maxim's of yesteryear,
insists Laurent de Gourcuff.
We are going to recruit 80 people.”
Founded on April 7, 1893, Maxim's is a Parisian institution, which had lost its luster after years of prosperity.
For many decades, the restaurant has welcomed the most famous guests, from Marcel Proust to Greta Garbo, including Yvonne Printemps, Sacha Guitry, Édouard VII, Mistinguett, Jean Cocteau, Onassis and Maria Callas, or even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich and Grace Kelly.