Film King Georges shows you why you do NOT want to open a restaurant
Secretly dreaming of your own restaurant? Classic French, beautiful table linen, traditional menu? If you’ve seen the documentary King Georges on Netflix, you know better: French chef Georges Perrier has a rough time of it.
Georges is one of those French chefs from the movies (remember Ratatouille?): he wears his red, white and blue collar, has a charming French accent and the physicality of a wrestler. Georges was born in France, attended a strict culinary school there and then emigrated to the United States. In Philadelphia, he opened a classic French restaurant, Le Bec-Fin, and it became a huge success.
Shouting at chefs
In the documentary, 70-year-old Georges is struggling with his restaurant: what does the future hold? Will he hand the restaurant over to his young successor, or can he simply not let go? Georges is a strict boss, a perfectionist with a short fuse, shouting at his sous-chefs. But he also works incredibly hard, 360 days a year, and he probably won’t stop cooking until he can no longer stand on his feet.
The new era, as you say
Successor Nicholas would prefer a slightly more modern restaurant, better suited to the times; it will come as no surprise that Georges is completely opposed to that. Times are changing, and people are no longer interested in restaurants with chandeliers and white tablecloths. What should Georges do? However it turns out (no spoilers!), the documentary is a beautiful tribute to classic French restaurants and the superhuman dedication of kitchen dinosaurs like Mr Perrier.
Want to watch it? The film is on Netflix.
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