The Reason Why Michelin Started Michelin Guide Is More Interesting Than You Think

Having a Michelin star comes with its own prestige, and some restaurants feel, can be a curse too.

A couple of years back, the F-word celebrity chef himself, Gordon Ramsay, actually CRIED when his restaurant in New York, called The London, lost its two Michelin stars.

Wah, that man also can cry one?

But really, why are the Michelin stars so highly regarded? And on top of that, how could a company that’s actually well-known for its tyres be the one to come up with the idea for these stars for food establishments?

You’re about to find out. Continue reading, okay.

Aim: To Make the Restaurant Worth Travelling To

Yup, you read that right. The Michelin Guide was started by the brotherly Michelin duo of Edouard and Andre, to provide a DRIVING force for people to go out and eat food in specific restaurants and hotels.

How do they get more money as a tyre company lah?

Well, imagine, if you have to drive 300km to eat a plate of chicken rice, you’re actually putting your car’s tyres into overdrive right? So much so that it’ll wear out and you’ll look for a new set.

Genius plan lei.

And yes, the same fellas that can make Gordon Ramsay cry are the very ones who produce tyres too. Go figure.

The plot thickens, too.

The director of corporate public relations in Michelin’s North American front, Mr Tony Fouladpour shared with a business site about how the Michelin Guide has been a “halo” for the tyre company.

Tyres aren’t really something that people find attractive, after all.

Michelin is known as an impeccably good brand on both fronts. There are people out there who consider the Michelin Guide the Culinary Bible compared to other dining guides.

You have to take note on its starting point.

At that time ah, only got around 2,200 cars in the country of France. On top of that, there’s no proper road system throughout the place. If you needed gasoline for your car, you’d have to purchase it at certain PHARMACIES too.

Yes, having a car was the ultimate luxury. Michelin wanted to make it vehicles something people used when it came to travelling from one far spot to another, instead of from Takashimaya Department Store to Tanglin Shopping Centre.

Michelin was literally going all out back then to launch their Michelin Guide plan to its full momentum.

We’re talking guides dropped off at hotels, gasoline vendors and even mechanic shops all over France. As if that weren’t enough, the fellas even put up homemade road signs to help the drivers find their way to the restaurant.

Wah, you guys had it really, really tough huh.

Thankfully, both ends of their business plan flourished. The guide made it full-swing in 1926 under the fine-dining segment, and a couple of years later, Michelin brought in the 3-star system.

And we all know how famous the Michelin Guide is today. Enough said.