"New York is in our blood"

Melanie and Franck had a successful restaurant in Brooklyn before and after the Twin Towers came down and saw how the "can do" American spirit re energized and healed the city. They return to Lyon to be near family and to infuse a little of Brooklyn’s energy on the Quai St Antoine.

"What we miss most about the USA is the upbeat energy and the ability to get close and relate to our customers," says Melanie. But they do it little by little from the worker who comes in for a cup of coffee, the mom and child who want ice cream, to the businessman having lunch.

When they think of Brooklyn, which is generally defined by a tough, worldly and urban attitude, they saw this and more. It was the ability of Americans to express a positive attitude even when times are tough.

New York enthusiasm is infectious. If you’re going to spend more than eight hours a day at work, being with all kinds of people, why not make it more than just tolerable. Make an effort to smile, laugh, capture a piece of the American attitude that is mostly friendly and neighborly.

"We do it by engaging our neighbors, the people who shop at the Quai St. Antoine’s open air market, and provide brunch on Saturday and Sunday mornings," Melanie adds.

Getting close to the customer involves being neighborly and making the extra effort because in the long-run that’s what will determine their success. They do it with a Brooklyn attitude, yeah, it’s like this: a little bit of Brooklyn is now in Lyon.

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Listen to Melanie detail getting a license.