George Clooney is planning to open an Italian restaurant in the Provençal village of Cotignac, where he lives, according to reports. The restaurant, which would be in partnership with the Canadian owner of a nearby hotel, is expected to feature an elegant dining room and an outdoor terrace. No formal application has been submitted, but it is thought the restaurant will open next year.
Cotignac's dining scene and Clooney's French ties
The village of Cotignac is already home to several high-end dining options, including La Table de Mentone at Château Mentone wine estate, the Michelin-starred Restaurant Bruno, and Picotte Provence. However, it does not yet have a celebrity vanity project, which this would be.
Clooney and his family have been French citizens since December, making deeper local roots a logical step. He even appears in a memorable scene in the recent Call My Agent! movie.
Past celebrity restaurant failures
While Clooney's tequila company was sold for $1bn, celebrity restaurants often fail. Hulk Hogan's Pastamania, a pasta restaurant in a shopping mall with pasta shaped like the wrestler, lasted less than a year. Jennifer Lopez's 2002 Pasadena restaurant struggled after hiring and firing her ex-husband, who later threatened to leak honeymoon footage. Eva Longoria's SHe steakhouse, which featured smaller portions and mirrors on dessert menus, closed in 2014.
The Spielberg cautionary tale
The most notable failure is Steven Spielberg's Dive!, a submarine-shaped restaurant serving submarine sandwiches, with a working periscope and simulated submersion announcements every 45 minutes. An LA Times review at the time said: "This restaurant makes me embarrassed to be a human in the 90s."
Clooney, however, is known for style and good taste. A well-run restaurant that does not become a museum of his career is more likely to succeed.
