Well do not know how, but looking at some of my pictures gave me the idea to write a post on some of the restaurant chains of France !! These are all family restaurants and visit them with the family in tow. So hope you enjoy them too!
The name Courtepaille came to mind first, ok its a chain but very nice and friendly. It was my first lunch when came for my job interview in France back in August 2003 !! (of course got the job !) Unfortunately , do not have a photo of it at Cergy Saint Christophe in Val d’Oise dept 95 and in the Île de France region. The chain of Courtepaille is a chain of French Restaurants, specializing in grille meat. Created in August 1961 with the opening of a single restaurant on the side of the road N6 in Rouvray (Côte d’Or 21). In 2019, the chain had 300 restaurants, a third of which are franchised. The menus are prepared from local produce, delivered each morning by the craftsmen of the village, the fries are made on site, as well as the apple pies. The anecdote is that on December 20 2018, President Emmanuel Macron took a lunch break at a Courtepaille in Mareuil-lès-Meaux (Seine-et-Marne 77) had never welcomed such illustrious customers near Meaux. The others have been are at Buchelay near Mantes La Jolie in the Yvelines dept 78. We went there at least a couple times as it is right off the A13 autoroute de Normandie exit/sortie 13, and we can come in and out easy in our road warrior trips. There is another one on the A13 exit/sortie 9 coming from Paris in the Renault factory town of Flins sur Seine, Yvelines 78 as well. Here we had gone to shop at the nearby Carrefour hypermarket and had lunch in the Courtepaille, And even more going up to Chantilly by Creil (Oise dept 60) we have enjoyed. This one is on the D1016 road the old N16 as well. Coming over to my near area we have tried the one at the Zone d’Activités d’Atlantheix, Rue Charcot in Theix-Noyalo. The official Courtepaille restaurants :https://restaurants.courtepaille.com/
Buffalo Grill is a chain specializing in grilled meats with an American Indian theme. The brand has,as of last count 360 restaurants, including 94 in franchise, The Buffalo Grill story begins in 1980 when Christian Picart opens the first restaurant on the national road 20, in Avrainville ,Essonne dept 91 Île de France region, On September 25, 2020, the group acquires Courtepaille (see above) , On November 30, 2021, the Buffalo Grill group announces that it is changing its name to “Napaqaro”. However, the Buffalo Grill and Courtepaille restaurants will not change their names.Again, I started going to the branch at 7 Avenue de Sceaux in my dear Versailles, then on the 1540 Route de 40 sous in Orgeval both Yvelines dept 78 ,as well as the Quai des Marques in Franconville dept 95 Val d’Oise , Once moving to the Morbihan 56 we have tried several times the branch at 17 Rue Edgar Touffreau in Ploeren near Vannes, The official Buffalo Grill restaurants : https://www.buffalo-grill.fr/nos-restaurants
Hippopotamus is a chain of meat restaurants established in 1968; mainly present in France, it belongs to the Flo group, majority owned by the Bertrand group, Over the years we started going to Hippopotamus in Le Chesnay-Roquebrune Parly II shopping mall near Versailles, Port Cergy, Cergy Pontoise dept 95 Val d’Oise, The Quai des Marques at Franconville outlet mall Val d’Oise 95, Bd Montparnasse Paris, and then moving into my new area at the Parc Lann, 4 Rue Jacques Rueff, Vannes. Voilà always one can’t find me a picture of this resto but will leave for the memories’s sake. The official Hippopotamus restaurants : https://restaurants.hippopotamus.fr/?q=france
Del Arte is a French restaurant chain specializing in Italian cuisine own by the group Le Duff Group. Founded in 1984 by the Accor group, it sells pizzas, pasta, salads, antipasti, dolci and other Italian specialties. Del Arte has opened around 15 restaurants a year since 2006 and, at the end of 2020, had 204 restaurants, 90% of which are owned by one hundred franchisees, We had started using them when we were in Versailles at the Parly II shopping mall ; as above in Buchelay, and then follow up with the outfit in Vannes. The official Pizza del Arte restaurants : https://www.delarte.fr/restaurants
Another chain that we enjoy in the pass even if not available in my current neck of the woods are the Léon de Bruxelles, and our fav repeat was at the same area in Buchelay, near Mantes La Jolie. Léon de Bruxelles is a French restaurant chain with branches and franchises. The brand specializes in fresh mussels and fries. In 1893 in Brussels, the “Friture Léon” is a small estaminet dedicated to mussels and typical Belgian dishes. In 1989, the first Leon of Brussels restaurant opened its doors in Paris, and was dedicated to the same traditional dishes. Leon de Bruxelles last count had 85 restaurants in France. 3,500 tons of mussels are sold each year. Depending on the season, they come from the Netherlands, Italy or Normandy. The official Leon de Bruxelles restaurants :https://brasserie.restaurantleon.fr/fr
Last but not least was a special one as we already knew it from Florida USA and darn it they have it here too at the Disney Village in Disneyland Paris! I need to mention Rainforest Cafe. Not the fanciest of restaurant à la French but an American importation that we find nostalgic for us and of course with the boys who are born and raised early in Florida we needed to come. The food and the attractions were memorable. And we have return couple times ! This is a Southwestern fare with a tropical twist awaits you amid this dense jungle filled with animals. journey deep into the Amazon, where you’ll dine in the company of animated animals and the sound of thunder claps and sudden rainstorms. Singing birds, trumpeting elephants, chest-pounding gorillas and schools of brightly coloured fish welcome you to a lushly landscaped jungle of tropical vegetation, banyan trees, waterfalls and a starry night-time sky. The Paris tourist office on the Rainforest Café:https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-restaurant/70717/Rainforest-Cafe-Paris
There you go folks, we have everything under the sky , maybe one more reason why France is the No 1 destination from visitors since 1949 at the official UN WTO organisation of world tourism. We have choices, for all ranges ! Hope you enjoy these restaurant chains of France while they are open, and see the different ;vive la difference !
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 