{"id":19711,"date":"2025-01-20T21:59:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T20:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/non-categorise\/dominique-gauthier-the-watchmaker-cook\/"},"modified":"2025-01-20T21:59:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T20:59:35","slug":"dominique-gauthier-the-watchmaker-cook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/interview\/dominique-gauthier-the-watchmaker-cook\/","title":{"rendered":"Dominique Gauthier, the watchmaker-cook"},"content":{"rendered":"

We find him at 49 rue du Rh\u00f4ne, looking as cheerful as ever. Since moving to the other side of the river, Dominique Gauthier feels free and happy. His new gastronomic and watchmaking showcase is a success, both culinarily and in terms of visitor numbers. A year has gone by, almost as quickly as the distinctions awarded since the restaurant opened in December 2023: 16 points in Gault&Millau and a star in the Michelin guide. Many a chef would dream of such a record in just one year of operation. Dominique Gauthier is grateful, but modest. He’s a skilled chef, and what counts for him is his cuisine and the men and women who make up his team. A hard core of professionals who surround him and enable him to flourish on a daily basis. <\/p>\n

\"F.p.journe
F.P. Journe and Dominique Gauthier \u00a9F.P. Journe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How do you feel after your first year behind the stove at F.P. Journe?<\/h4>\n

“The first year is always stressful, because we want to please. We started with a blank sheet of paper and had to build an offer that matched customer expectations, the location and the size of the kitchen. A bistro-gastro kitchen with a clever blend of tradition and modern style. Today, I’m very happy. I can’t stop appreciating the place I’m in and the team working alongside me.<\/p>\n

Do customers come to F.P. Journe or Dominique Gauthier?<\/h4>\n

“In addition to being a watch brand, F.P. Journe has become the name of a restaurant with a clientele linked to the world of watches as much as that which has followed me since the days of the Beau-Rivage hotel. If I had to make an honest apportionment, I think it would be 50\/50.<\/p>\n

How did you feel after receiving your Michelin star?<\/h4>\n

“Right from the start of this adventure, I made the decision to refocus on the essentials: cooking and service. The Michelin inspectors must have liked that. On the other hand, I’ve never worked to win awards. I’ve always worked for my customers. But quite frankly, receiving a star was a surprise. There’s nothing more important than recognition for a job well done, and this has boosted the motivation of my staff. I’m also very happy for Monsieur Journe, who trusted me from the start of this adventure. It’s a great gift for us all.<\/p>\n

\"F.p.journe
The dining room of the F.P. Journe restaurant \u00a9F.P. Journe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why do you refuse to be on social networks?<\/h4>\n

“I don’t feel the need to be visible on social networks at all. I’d much rather have direct contact with the customer than have to deal with virtual feedback through a screen. Even if I understand perfectly well this craze among young people, I protect myself from these parasitic systems”.<\/p>\n

In a tense economic and social context, recruitment is a real challenge. How do you motivate your troops? <\/h4>\n

“As in team sports, it’s a team that does everything! For too long, catering staff have accepted things that no other profession would. It’s time to take care of the staff around us. Days off, hours, vacations… staff members need to be able to be with their families. It’s up to us to create a balance at work so that they can pass on this balance to their personal lives”.<\/p>\n

Can a restaurant like this operate without substantial financial support?<\/h4>\n

“Absolutely! Mr Journe had the courage to invest in a restaurant in the heart of the city, employing around fifteen people. To date, we’ve managed to get by, and I can confirm that the restaurant is completely self-sufficient.<\/p>\n

What can we wish you?<\/h4>\n

“May customers continue to come and eat with us…”<\/p>\n

Dominique Gauthier ends this gastronomic aside by greeting departing customers. Still smiling brightly, he escorts them to the door leading to an icy Rue du Rh\u00f4ne. At F.P. Journe’s restaurant, happiness is palpable, and the path to it is clear. Thank you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s already been a year since Dominique Gauthier took over the stoves at the F.P. Journe restaurant. Here we meet an engaging character for whom putting the human aspect first helps maintain efficient management. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":19712,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Dominique Gauthier, the watchmaker-cook | Restaurant | Edouard Amoiel","description":"It's already been a year since Dominique Gauthier took over the stoves at the F.P. Journe restaurant. Here we meet an engaging character for whom putting the hu"},"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_restaurants-par-lieux":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_style-de-restaurant":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[393],"tags":[],"restaurants-par-lieux":[],"style-de-restaurant":[],"class_list":["post-19711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19711"},{"taxonomy":"restaurants-par-lieux","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/restaurants-par-lieux?post=19711"},{"taxonomy":"style-de-restaurant","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/style-de-restaurant?post=19711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}