Dec 14th, 2016, 12:58 AM

Celebrity-Owned Restaurant Culture: France vs USA

By Robin Allison Davis
Scarlett Johansson in her new store, Yummy Pop. Image credit: Yummy Pop).
Will Scarlett Johansson's Yummy Pop Lead the Way for More American Celebrity Restaurant Owners in Paris?

Justin Timberlake has one. Gloria Estefan has one. Even Lady Gaga has one! Owning a restaurant has become a benchmark for American celebrities — actresses, singers, athletes, even reality TV stars. Everyone is vying to make a dent in the culinary world. Some celeb-owned restaurants are renowned and award-winning, such as Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Grill and Michael Jordan’s aptly-named Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse.

Across the pond in Paris, the trend isn't as popular, though it could be catching on. Actress Scarlett Johansson recently opened Yummy Pop, a gourmet popcorn shop in the Marais, making her one of the few American celebrities to own a piece of the Parisian retail/food market. She served popcorn to customers during the soft opening last month. And if the crowds were any indication, the store is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Scarlett Johansson's new popcorn store 'Yummy Pop' in Paris

While Johansson is one of the few American stars to enter the French culinary scene, celebrity-owned restaurants do exist here. Famed film director Luc Besson (Nikita, Le Grande Bleu) owns two restaurants in Paris. Both restaurants — the Michelin starred Apicius and the well-received Market — are in the exclusive 8th arrondissement. Actor Gerard Depardieu (Man in the Iron Mask, Life of Pi) owns two restaurants: La Fontaine Gaillon in the 2nd arrondissement and Le Bien Décidé in the 6th. Actress Marion Cotillard (Allies, Inception) is an investor in two restaurants – Jaja and Glou, both in the Marais — that often boast celebrity patrons. Designers Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani have restaurants in their boutiques. Ralph’s is located in a flagship Ralph Lauren store on the Left Bank, while the L’Emporio Armani Caffe is located nearby on Boulevard Saint-Germain. 


Apicius Restaurant. Image credit: Apicius

The cultural differences in France could make it hard for celebrity restaurants to thrive in the same way they do in America. In the United States, the celebrity status of the owner can take precedence over the culinary experience.

“People are going there to belong to some kind of celebrity status, to say something about their own identities,” says Christy Shields, cultural anthropologist and professor at American University of Paris. “It has very little to do with the food.”


Marion Cotillard's Jaja restaurant. Image credit: Jaja restaurant

So what would bring French patrons to a celebrity restaurant? Shields acknowledges that there are a variety of factors. “Many French people recognize the big names of the Michelin stars, the artistry of the chef, the quality of the food,” she says. “People may also go to a restaurant because it’s a local restaurant, it’s in their neighborhood.”


A meal at Apicius. Image credit: Apicius.

Time will tell if Johansson will join the ranks of successful celebrity owners in Paris – and become one of the first Americans to do it. If you're in the mood for gourmet popcorn, swing by Yummy Pop at 35 bis Rue du Roi de Sicile.