LE CIRQUE GOES ARAB. THE MOST FAMOUS ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN THE U.S. IS SET TO OPEN A DUPLICATE IN QATAR. PARIS AND SHANGHAI RENOUNCED

Qatar is for sure, and a maybe for Dubai. There’s no stopping Sirio Maccioni, and soon his Le Cirque restaurant, the most famous Italian restaurant in the United States (and which is currently experiencing a sort of rebirth since its recent reopening), will be making its way to the Middle East. Though it is definitely an interesting move from an entrepreneurial point of view, it can also be considered a bridge building project between east and west, all based on high quality cuisine. “In the Arab world, they want what we are no longer looking for and thus I consider the operation to be very important”, stated Maccioni while he hurried to receive the “Forchetta d’Oro” award during the Boccaccesca food event in Certaldo (Florence), which was being given to him in recognition of his “Tuscaness”.
The restaurateur announced, “We will open in Qatar in a year, while for the Emirates the negotiations are still underway even though too many have already entered that market”. There are areas where they look to import the best quality and the western model. They have done it with other brands. Now they’re doing it with us”. In Qatar, local financiers (all Arabs), managed to convince the restaurant owner from Montecatini Terme to duplicate Le Cirque with its characteristics that have made it famous. And, it has already been made clear that meat and wine will not be missing from the menu, regardless of local traditions and religious obligations.
There is nothing to do, however, for Paris, the city that launched Maccioni into his flight to success in the U.S.. “I have just now come out of a battle in New York, which I am winning, considering the new place is always full of clients, but I don’t want to go and start another one in France”, responded Maccioni in regards to prospects of opening another restaurant in Paris. Maccioni was “upset” about the many restrictions and complexities and preferred to interrupt negotiations.

Projects for Shanghai have also been indefinitely postponed, but there appear to be more concrete possibilities within the U.S., though it is too early to be definite about this either. Rumor has it that there could be some sort of involvement with actor Robert De Niro in one of the operations, but Maccioni barricades himself behind a “no comment” when asked about it. And in Italy? “There are no plans for anything here”, said Maccioni. “On the other hand, there has to be a place where I can go without having to talk about soups and salads!”.

In the end, Maccioni is a true mix of entrepreneurial spirit and patriotic pride. “When I go around, I always say I am from Montecatini, that I am from Tuscany, and that I am Italian. And that it is necessary to stop talking badly about Italy. Abroad, it is a sort of national sport. We can definitely be self critical at home, but we can’t speak badly of ourselves in other countries because for those who work abroad it is damaging”