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[pussinboots]

According to Mr Toad at Disney Central Plaza, Disney has bought back at least some of the restaurants at Disney Village currently operated by Groupe Flo: Annette's, King Ludwig's and Café Mickey. He thinks this is a good thing.

But is it? Have the Flo people done such an awful job? What have Euro Disney done lately to indicate that they will be able to do a better job?

In any case, it is another flicker of a sign that the Disney Village redo will not end with the World of Disney. The faint smell of ambition hangs in the air. Woohoo.

http://disneycentralplaza.englishboard. ... lo-kingdom

[Adam]

Interesting. I can see the logic from the control and profit side, but it must have been costly to take them back over - unless their contract to run them ran out and they just took control back without a cost.

As more externally run establishments have come to Disney Village recently, this seems to be against this and also using money that they don't have.

[Anthony]

Interesting. I can see the logic from the control and profit side, but it must have been costly to take them back over - unless their contract to run them ran out and they just took control back without a cost.

It looks like this is exactly what's happening. Another member on DCP called, er, "Mr-Connard" just posted that the contract with Eurogastronomie (the division of Groupe Flo which operates the Disney Village restaurants) ends on 1st October 2011. He says that Disney apparently have more experience as restaurateurs in Paris now and due to concerns over cost (they pay Flo €10m per year for the contract) and quality (management issues) of the contract they're taking full control. It's not really a case of buying them, just taking the management on themselves.

The restaurants under FLO Kingdom won't be included, so Rainforest Cafe and King Ludwig's Castle stay as they are (until 2019 and 2015 respectively, if I read correctly).

Interestingly, he also says the restaurants might each close between November and January for between one week to a whole month to allow a full changeover - retraining, etc?

So we're talking about Annette's Diner, Café Mickey and The Steakhouse here, right? New York Style Sandwiches too?

[Adam]

At least they are not spending any money on this! Personally, I have never noticed any quality problems at these establishments, especially Cafe Mickey, but the cost saving can only be a good thing if they can improve the quality.

I can't see much time needed for any changeover. If the French staffing rules are as they are in the UK, the staff should be transferred over, so assuming they sort out the purchasing, there shouldn't be much to changeover other than any changes they wish to make.

[Josh]

If we're lucky, the prices will go down as well. Does anyone else think that Cafe Mickey is expensive?

[pussinboots]

Interesting. I can see the logic from the control and profit side, but it must have been costly to take them back over - unless their contract to run them ran out and they just took control back without a cost.

It looks like this is exactly what's happening. Another member on DCP called, er, "Mr-Connard" just posted that the contract with Eurogastronomie (the division of Groupe Flo which operates the Disney Village restaurants) ends on 1st October 2011. He says that Disney apparently have more experience as restaurateurs in Paris now and due to concerns over cost (they pay Flo €10m per year for the contract) and quality (management issues) of the contract they're taking full control. It's not really a case of buying them, just taking the management on themselves.

The restaurants under FLO Kingdom won't be included, so Rainforest Cafe and King Ludwig's Castle stay as they are (until 2019 and 2015 respectively, if I read correctly).

Interestingly, he also says the restaurants might each close between November and January for between one week to a whole month to allow a full changeover - retraining, etc?

So we're talking about Annette's Diner, Café Mickey and The Steakhouse here, right? New York Style Sandwiches too?

I see we've both been trying to read French, haha. But that does clear a few things up. Feel free to edit the title of the opening post in order not to give people the wrong idea.

So apparently (Euro) Disney have picked up a few things along the way and are now ready to run these places by themselves. That's an interesting claim considering how few restaurants they've opened up since 1992 or how little has happened in that area at all (save for the dawn of half-board). Were they particularly incompetent restaurateurs back in the day?

[lorrig]

Hopefully they will do something regarding customer service which was particularly poor in Cafe Mickey last November.
We had to wait nearly an hour in the snow, I was pregnant and we had our 2 year old with us, even thought we had reservations. Once we were in, the place was filthy and we had to wait ages to be served. By the the time the food arrived our daughter was nearly asleep and therefore hardly ate anything.
Maybe with Disney in control this will improve.

[Anthony]

So apparently (Euro) Disney have picked up a few things along the way and are now ready to run these places by themselves. That's an interesting claim considering how few restaurants they've opened up since 1992 or how little has happened in that area at all (save for the dawn of half-board). Were they particularly incompetent restaurateurs back in the day?

I found that an odd claim as well, but just mindlessly retyped it anyway. When did Groupe Flo actually take over these restaurants? Was it right from the start or was there a point along the way where Disney farmed them off, probably for "efficiencies" that are no longer there? I've never understood why they're operated separately if DLP are capable of managing the park and hotel restaurants.

Apparently strikes earlier this year could be a major reason for the contract not being renewed.

[andrewuk]

So if they are competent enough not to make a loss at these very busy restaurants that's 10 million a year saved just like that?

[davewasbaloo]

well not quite, there will be TUPE transfer fees, as well as hiring their own management team (or increasing capacity utilisation). By the time they finish the savings will likely be closer to 1 or 2m. And there is a risk costs could go up if Flo had a lean operation.