For the second week in a row, a major Le Bec-Fin bombshell drops over the weekend. This week’s shocker has Georges Perrier stepping down from his Walnut Street roost. Foobooz rocked this doozy Saturday, stating that Perrier, who founded the dining institution all the way back in 1970, has cut a deal to turn over the restaurant to Nicolas Fanucci, a Le Bec vet and current general manager at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry. Though details are elusive, the deal will reportedly keep Perrier in the fold with an ownership stake, but front and back of the house operations will be handled by Fanucci and the chef he’s bringing in.
According to the Foobooz report, Perrier has been working on the deal for seven months, long before Craig LaBan dinged the restaurant two bells in his update on Philly’s best restaurants last weekend. But that’s hardly stopping the chef from calling out the Inky critic for what he says was personal vendetta, stating “I don’t deserve the way that Craig LaBan put me in the trash can, in such a violent way.” The newspaper today is saying that at least one Le Bec investor had put pressure on Perrier to refresh the management team. The restaurant is expected to stay open until April, when even more renovations begin. We’re guessing Perrier is wishing he had followed through on his claims last year that he was going to close Le Bec and sell the property.
The End of an Era: Georges Perrier Cedes Control of Le Bec-Fin [Foobooz]
Perrier stepping aside at Le Bec-Fin [Inquirer]
Earlier: Hell’s Bells: Le Bec-Fin and Lacroix Downgraded; Zahav and Bibou Ascend to Elite Status
Related: As If No One Saw This Coming: Perrier Will Keep Le Bec-Fin Open After All
