麻豆传媒

Skip to main content

Europe's richest man liked this Paris bistro so much his company bought it

A dish served at Chez l'Ami Louis restaurant in Paris. (LVMH via CNN Newsource) A dish served at Chez l'Ami Louis restaurant in Paris. (LVMH via CNN Newsource)
Share
London -

French luxury conglomerate LVMH has added a tiny Parisian bistro to its sprawling empire of designer fashion brands, jewelry makers and hotels.

The company, owned by Europe鈥檚 richest man Bernard Arnault, said Thursday that it had bought a majority stake in Chez L鈥檃mi Louis, a 100-year-old restaurant in central Paris, described by LVMH as an 鈥渁uthentic Parisian gem."

鈥淟VMH will work to preserve the unique character and family identity of the restaurant and continue to support its French savoir-faire and expertise,鈥 it said in a press release. It did not disclose the size of its stake nor the value of the deal.

The classic bistro 鈥 famed for its roast chicken, mounds of thin, crispy fries, and plates of sizzling snails 鈥 has hosted Bill Clinton and Martin Scorsese, as well as David and Victoria Beckham, according to a source familiar with the deal. The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

If that wasn鈥檛 endorsement enough, the restaurant has also earned Gwyneth Paltrow鈥檚 seal of approval. Her lifestyle company Goop Chez L鈥檃mi Louis on its website as 鈥渙ne of the best, most venerable bistros in Paris.鈥

鈥淚t is small and wood-paneled, with an ancient oven and a sick wine list,鈥 Goop gushed.

LVMH said in its press release that the bistro sources its produce from small breeders and market gardeners 鈥渨ho have been loyal to the restaurant for several generations.鈥

CNN could not reach Chez L鈥檃mi Louis for comment Friday.

The front of Chez L'ami Louis in Paris. (LVMH via CNN Newsource)

The essence of Paris

Arnault has also dined at the Parisian restaurant, the source close to the deal told CNN, adding that the billionaire is passionate about preserving parts of the city鈥檚 cultural 鈥渋dentity and expression.鈥

LVMH and Arnault pledged 鈧200 million (US$226 million) in 2019 to help after fire devastated the 850-year-old church. The families behind L鈥橭real and Kering also made big donations.

There is a risk, the source added, that when the historical owners of culturally important venues such as Chez L鈥檃mi Louis move on, new investors swoop in and transform them 鈥渋nto something that is very far from (the original) identity.鈥

Arnault, the world鈥檚 third-richest man after Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, is worth an estimated US$199 billion, according to the .

In recent years, LVMH, which owns Dior and Louis Vuitton among other designer brands, has beefed up its portfolio of hospitality venues. In 2019, the company Belmond, which owns hotels and organizes luxury rail and river cruises, in a US$3.2 billion deal.

Earlier this month, LVMH 鈥渁 strategic investment鈥 in the Orient Express, a brand offering luxury train travel owned by French hospitality firm Accor.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.

Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

Local Spotlight

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.