As soon as Upon a Time in France, the French bistro that opened in East Nashville in late 2019, is below new possession.
Two former OUATIF prospects, Ramy Habib and Majed Mikhail, bought the restaurant from the Arnt household in October. Neither Habib nor Mikhail has owned a restaurant earlier than, and the 2 had been solely excited about buying their favourite restaurant if its present supervisor and employees stayed on. That is based on Keren Mabury, the supervisor who spoke to the Scene on the brand new homeowners’ behalf.
The brand new OUATIF will look very similar to the previous OUATIF, from the in and out. The concept is an genuine French bistro the place diners are actually elbow-to-elbow with different diners, feasting on French dishes whereas sipping cocktails and sharing French wines. Save for some constructing enhancements, the inside house seems to be because it at all times has — like a French bistro, with 19 cozy tables and a protracted bar and many French decor on the partitions. (The Arnts took household images and left the remainder of the artwork on the partitions. Melvil Arnt now owns Renaissance, a French restaurant in Santa Rosa, Fla.)
Habib and Mikhail “have been actually good listeners, wanting to grasp the issues that we’ve observed that we’d need to change as employees, as a result of we’re right here day-in, day-out,” Mabury says. The brand new staff doesn’t personal the constructing (Robert Beck of Beck & Beck Actual Property is the owner), however they’ve made upgrades, together with roof repairs and a brand new grill within the kitchen.
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The Nashville eating scene has modified since OUATIF first opened in 2019. Pastis Nashville opened in Wedgewood Houston, and Cocorico! in Midtown. The Authentique, as soon as owned by the Arnts, now serves crepes along with drinks and is planning a second location. Yellow Desk Café and Creperie opened in East Nashville.
Mabury was raised in Paris. She moved to Nashville 12 years in the past and has been working at OUATIF since 2023. She believes there may be room for extra French and French-inspired eating in Nashville.
“We hope East Nashville and Nashville as an entire will get excited with us about this new chapter,” she says. “We’re simply actually pleased to be that genuine French bistro, as a result of it’s distinctive to us.”
The staff is within the strategy of hiring a brand new French chef. A number of main candidates have expertise in small, domestically owned eating places moderately than resorts or chains, Mabury says. Favourite dishes of regulars will keep on the menu, such because the French onion soup, boeuf Bourguignon and steak frites, and he or she hopes the brand new chef may also deliver some French specialty dishes and lean extra into seasonality, relying on native produce and space farmers greater than the earlier homeowners. (Not all substances might be sourced domestically, she says: Belgian chocolate has to return from Belgium, and French cheeses … effectively, they’ve to return from France. The wine listing is 99 % French wines.)
The press launch asserting new possession guarantees “transparency and the very best requirements of meals security” and a “secure, respectful, and thriving office.” Whereas such language is uncommon in a restaurant press launch, Mabury says it underscores the homeowners’ curiosity in overcoming associations with earlier well being code and different allegations of misconduct below the earlier homeowners’ tenure. They’ve additionally posted their new Metro Well being inspections on their Instagram account.
“We’re simply actually excited to should reconnect with those that perhaps had misplaced curiosity on this place, and reconnect with previous clientele,” Mabury says. As soon as the brand new chef is within the kitchen, the restaurant plans to have a grand reopening occasion.
As soon as Upon a Time in France is situated at 1102 Gallatin Ave. and is open for dinner Monday via Saturday. Reservations are accepted on-line and walk-ins are welcome.
