Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabrice Carreau.
Hi Fabrice, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Fabrice Carreau, I am 48 years old, married with 3 children. I am the owner of two restaurants in Florida.
I came in Florida for several years before buying my first restaurant and I gradually enjoyed coming in the USA. I felt at home in Florida more than when I lived in France.
It seemed obvious to come live in Florida when I did remarried to my wife Leslie who did also want to leave France and live in a different country.
We started looking and started taking the steps for the Investor Visa which gave us the opportunity to finally settle down 2 years later.
4 years ago, I brought my first restaurant, « Côté France » in Florida in the county of Sarasota.
I did want to settle more strongly in Florida and wanted to try somewhere else other than the West Coast.
So, two years later in 2020, I brought Trendkitchen with my 2 business partners Aurélie and Antoine Salin.
When we take over the restaurant, we keep the name “Trendkitchen” and keep the identity of the restaurant. After 2 years of operation and the Past Covid, we noticed that the name and the current concept leave us at the same point, and it was difficult to do better.
After some time of analysis, we changed the name to “LeFrench” Restaurant and reorganized the restaurant’s menu as well as the wine list. We refocused the restaurant with a French cuisine which better defined Antoine’s inventive cuisine and which is more in my DNA.
The chef Antoine proposes on the menu some fresh and local ingredients. We are working with a local Fish Market and with some farms. We want the best for our customers. The chef changes the menu every 6 months. We also do some French Wine Dinner every two months. Antoine and Aurélie are working together for find the best pairing between the French food and the French wine.
I like this restaurant because it has a very cozy side; I redecorate it for make it more our identity. Indian harbor is a great location on the Space Coast. The population of Brevard County is very active and stuck well with the dynamism of Antoine’s inventive cuisine. Melbourne is growing up, and we are happy to be part of it.
Now, “LeFrench” Restaurant becomes the only French restaurant in Indian Harbour and Melbourne with Aurélie and Antoine who is to date the youngest chef at the head of a restaurant in Brevard County.
Subsequently, I would like to open some other restaurants. The next one is planned more towards in Sarasota County, where I live. But I think the space coast is also very active and does not forbid me to return to this side of Florida for a new concept in a few years.
Alright, 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?
The obstacle to settling in Florida is already the visa which is not easy to obtain but which proves at least that we are very motivated to run the American system and that is very good.
The second obstacle I had is, of course, Covid because I bought Trendkitchen in the middle of Covid in 2020. It took a little time to understand the expectations of the customers to allow me to go to the end of the project and transform the restaurant “trendkitchen” to the Restaurant “LeFrench”.
The challenge now is to raise LeFrench to the top and to introduce the French cuisine concocted by Antoine to our guests.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The goal of my holding company is to open several restaurants in Florida and to provide the finest French products available. FTfoodLLC already have 2 French Restaurant. We are specializing in French food. In both restaurants, we have a young French Chefs who learns them skills in France. We serve our dish and our wine with the French traditions/methods.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like the hospitality of people in Florida customers are curious to discover French dishes
I like that we can get to know so many interesting people and people are interested in cooking.
People are always happy, and the sun helps to live in serenity.
I dislike the rain.
Pricing:
- Bone marrow escargot $22
- Hudson valley Foie Gras $27
- Bœuf bourguignon $29
- Lamb shank $37
- Fresh catch of the day $38
Contact Info:
- Website: http://lefrenchrestaurant.com/
- Instagram: lefrench_indian_harbour
- Facebook: Le French restaurant
