|
A lover of all things French, Craig Carlson spent his junior
year of college studying in France and furthering his grasp
of the language. It was a year that left a deep impression
on him.
After several jobs, including a stint at Disney Studios, Craig
developed an inescapable desire to open an American diner
and breakfast themed restaurant in Paris, but he soon learned
that it wasn’t quite so easy to follow through with
his objective. Language wasn’t a barrier, but the complicated,
hard to navigate French laws were. Finances had to be arranged
and investors needed to be found who were willing to take
a chance on his vision. Once he had the funds, waded through
all the set up fiascos and found a suitable location, he faced
almost insurmountable challenges in dealing with the complex
French bureaucracy as a foreigner. Yet he persisted…and
succeeded. His restaurant, Breakfast in America, is extremely
popular with tourists and natives alike.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pancakes in Paris. Craig’s
narrative is informative, visual, compassionate and often
quite funny. I became frustrated along with him when it appeared
he couldn’t get his necessary funding and realized how
difficult it is to find the right location – let alone
purchase it. What truly amazed me was learning that, once
you hire someone in France, it’s virtually impossible
to fire them. French labor laws are unique. Unlike American
employers who can fire an errant employee, work is considered
a right in France for employees – a secure job for life.
While I don’t plan on opening a restaurant (especially
after reading this book), I thoroughly enjoyed Craig’s
description of the people he met, his friends, associates
and the employees he hired, good and bad. Pancakes in
Paris is part travelogue, part instructional and totally
delightful. And we will definitely visit the restaurant the
next time we’re in Paris!
Notes: Craig Carlson received an M.A.
in film production from the University of Southern California,
and has won several film festival awards. In addition to being
a produced screenwriter, Craig worked as a translator for
Letters: Jean Renoir, a book on the famous French director.
|
