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Interview with Jean-Luc Naret, Director of Michelin
October 6, 2008
At the press conference for the release of the MICHELIN Guide New York City 2009
What excites you most about the MICHELIN Guide New York City 2009?
What excites me most about our guide this year is the diversity of the selections. Another thing that pleases me is that we have 58 restaurants where you can get dinner for less than $40—all great values. What also excites me is that not only is the selection available in bookstores, but it can be accessed on the mobile.
What do your consumers look like?
Eighty-five percent of consumers who purchase the guide are locals. That is, 85 percent of New York City guides are purchased in New York. It’s purchased by equal numbers of males and females, the young and the less young. Younger audiences complement the people who buy it and read it in paper and online.
Were you interested in capturing the new generation?
Of course we’re interested in the new generation; you reach audiences wherever you can. Our BMW GPS audiences is different. Our mobile audience will be a very wide one.
Does a mobile platform fit your consumers’ needs?
Yes. I want to emphasize that we’re in the selection process, not the publishing industry. We’ve been doing this for 109 years, in hotels and restaurants around the world. MICHELIN Guides are available on paper, on the website, and via in-car GPS systems. And now it’s available on the mobile in New York. You’ll be able to get the exact address of each restaurant on your mobile. It’s a good complimentary selection tool.
Are there any trends you’re planning to address as a new classification, like vegetarianism or organic foods?
I see the trend as moving toward a better value for your money. The trend toward being interested in the origin of the product, in the provenance of the ingredients themselves, started in San Francisco. I’m glad to see this happening more in New York, where diners are tracing the origin of products as well. People want to find foods locally and have them cooked using the right techniques, all while getting a good value for their money. I often say, there is only one good cuisine—a good one!
Are you planning to update or modify your rating system?
The standards are what change. Fifty years ago, in Europe, you had one toilet for several rooms, water that was sometimes cold, sometimes hot. Now, obviously, you expect a TV, phone, and hot water in every room. The criteria have always been evolving. We try to make sure we pick up those standards.
How do you compete with thousands of free restaurant review blogs and the like on the web?
The more, the merrier; choice is good for the consumer. But in the end, who are you going to trust? Something on the web, or a name that’s been associated with food for 110 years? People who want a reliable source will still go to Michelin.
What do you love about New York?
The restaurant scene here is an incredible melting pot. It’s about diversity, about global people all living in one city. There are 50 different cuisines represented in this year’s Guide alone. What is nice is that incredible restaurants are opening every day…and bad restaurants are closing every day as well. One restaurant that wasn’t included was Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian, behind the curtain in the lobby. It’s not in the Guide, but it’s great.
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