Michelin Guide, the story of the saga
The Michelin Guide was created in 1900 by brothers André and Edouard Michelin. Often nicknamed the "Red Guide", this book is a gastronomic, hotel and tourist directory. But when it was created Michelin Guide is, above all, a book to improve the mobility of motorists.
At the beginning of the 20th century more than 3,000 cars roll on French roads. The brothers see a potential in this area. The first edition of Michelin Guide appeared in August 1900 with more than 35,000 copies. This small directory is a delight for motorists who can get it for free and especially to have a multitude of practical advice: tire repair, list of hotels, itineraries ...
In 1908, the Michelin brothers set up a route office. Located at 99, boulevard Pereire in the 17th Paris borough, motorists can request a road map quickly. This is a great success for the Michelin Guide.
In 1920, the Michelin Guide becomes paying. Why this change? When André Michelin visits a car mechanic, he realizes that the Michelin guides are used to wedge the feet of a workbench. Indignant, André Michelin decides quite naturally to sell the directory. The Michelin Guide will now cost 7 francs! That same year, restaurants begin to be listed in the book.
Appearance of stars for restaurants
In 1926, the first star of good range appears. A few years later the second and third stars in Province and in Paris in 1933. From 1936, the first restaurants win three stars such as Eugénie Brazier and Marie Bourgeois, Fernand Point and Paul Bocuse which has kept its three stars since 1965. In 1929, the Michelin brothers set up a satisfaction questionnaire.
During the two World Wars the Michelin Guide does not appear. But André and Edouard Michelin do not intend to stop there. In 1945, the guide reappears.
The Michelin guide used during the war
In 1940 during the Battle of France, the Germans on the front line are equipped with Michelin Guide which facilitates the French invasion. In 1944, the Allied staff feared that the advance of the troops after the Normandy landings would be slowed down on the roads and especially in the French cities, because any signaling was destroyed or dismantled by the German occupation. With the secret agreement of Michelin's management in Paris, he chose to print in Washington and distribute to each officer a reproduction of the latest edition of the Guide, that of 1939, because it contains hundreds of city plans, detailed and updated. Only visible difference on the cover of the guide: "For official use only" (Only for official use).
Creation of "Bib Gourmand" of "Bib Hotel"
In 1997, the Michelin Guide brings up the "Bib Gourmand". This is a new categorization of restaurants with a very good price / quality ratio. In 2003, the "Bib Hotel" is born. The concept is exactly that of "Bib Gourmand" but for hotels.
The Michelin Guide selects every year more than 4600 hotels and more than 3400 restaurants that fall into their category. This little red book is one of the oldest and most famous gastronomic guides in the world. Since its creation until 2004, the Michelin Guide has been sold to more than 30 million copies.
