Today we’d like to introduce you to Pascal Cayet.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Pascal. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Paris France and went to a Culinary College in Paris and left to work in the early 70″ to Indianapolis Indiana in a restaurant which was at the time “La Tour” Chef Wolfgang Puck was the Chef there before he moved to LA, La Tour was a great restaurant and I was quite impressed after having spent some time working in some very famous restaurants in Paris like “La Tour D’Agent”. After two years I had to go back to France to serve in the Military, at the time everyone had to do one year of service. Then I really didn’t want to stay in France and I decide to take a job in a Hotel “Princess Hotel Hamilton” in the island of Bermuda which was quite nice, after five years I decide to search again some new venture and arrive in Dallas Texas in 1982, working briefly in a restaurant “La Tosca” then at the Mansion on Turtle Creek and finally at Calluaud Restaurant on Mc Kinney Avenue. In 1984 I open my first restaurant on Upper Mc Kinney Avenue “Chez Gerard” a French Country Restaurant that become right away a great success. In 1996 I decide to open another restaurant far north Dallas, Lavendou Bistro Provencal, a French Countryside Bistro from Provence with a very cozy decor, rustic archways with exposed brick, Provencal fabrics on the walls, table clothes and cushion seats and a Southern French Cuisine. We have since received many accolades for our food, service and wine list. We are now celebrating our 22 Anniversary!! At the end of 2007, I sold Chez Gerard Restaurant after 23 years of business! to Alberto Lombardi and open Olea ion Preston Rd in Plano, a Mediterranean Bistro, unfortunately in 2008 the financial crash arrive and I could feel Lavendou business slowing down so I decide after two years to sell Olea to be able to devote my full time to Lavendou and I still doing that at this time!!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being in the restaurant business, it’s never a smooth road, it is a hard business with always some unexpected problems like in 1986 at Chez Gerard restaurant on Saturday night with a full restaurant, having two ski masked robbers entering the restaurant with guns and robbed all the customers and staff from their wallets and jewelry!
Lavendou Bistro Provencal – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We do provide a fine Southern French cuisine in a cozy and provencal decor, we have a long list of regular customers that come very often for Dinner or to our Monthly Wine Dinners or just coming to listen at our Live Music every Tuesday nights! We are very fortunate to have the same staff working at Lavendou Bistro Provencal for the last 22 years which provide the same constancy food and the same level of service!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
For me it is be able to see all my regular customers coming back, over and over, as well as new customers and to be able to see a smile of satisfaction on their own faces!! This is what make proud!!
Contact Info:
- Address: 19009 Preston Road
Suite 200 Dallas Texas 75252 - Website: www.lavendou.com
- Phone: 972-248-1911
- Email: provencial@aol.com
Image Credit:
Pascal
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