Folly Bistro

Folly Bistro is a hilarious account of two years in the life of a French restaurant in Vancouver’s West End. The hopes and ambitions of the self-effacing owner are brought down to reality by bureaucracy, outlandish egos and chaos in the kitchen. Dealing with the strong personalities of staff as well as the pressure to put bums in the seats makes for a partly cautionary tale. This book is a great read: real characters and no holds-barred honest exposé of the trials and tribulations of becoming a restaurateur, all told with great humour.

Reviews / Testimonials:

“Folly Bistro is a tasty delight, taking readers inside the slammed and slightly intoxicated reality of the restaurant game. Bruno Huber knows his stuff. And I had as much fun meeting the chefs and servers and harried investors on these pages as I did hanging out at the Bistro de Paris that Huber once owned, and the famed Café de Paris that preceded it.”
—Timothy Taylor
author of Stanley Park

“Folly Bistro is a great read! If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant kitchen, it perfectly captures the manic energy, idiosyncratic lunacy and frustrating complexity of daily life in a restaurant. All is craziness, yet out front, if you are a customer, it is calm, sedate, serene — a place to enjoy food in all its joyous splendour.
That is the irony that Folly Bistro captures; it is a miracle that such fabulous food arrives at our table, yet it happens. Folly Bistro is also a celebration of those who work in the industry; we do it for love, because we certainly aren’t doing it for money.”
—Bob Foulkes
author of Adventures with Knives

“One of the most honest and unplugged descriptions of the incredible challenges operating a restaurant. Navigating over- regulation, discerning patrons, building culture, financing the operation, marketing and oh ya, the menu are all written about in ways seldom heard. A must read for business students, foodies, restaurant owners (new an old) general interest readers and government. A true joy to read the true life experience.”
—Ian Tostenson
President/CEO
British Columbia Restaurant and Food Services Association

Folly Bistro is a great read: real characters and no holds-barred honest expose of the trials and tribulations of becoming a restaurateur, all told with great humour. Compulsory reading for anyone thinking of getting into the business, and fabulous entertainment for those of us who just enjoy eating out and might wonder what is going on behind the scenes.
—Pippa Hawley
Co-author of Lap of Honour

Paperback and eBook:

ISBN: 9781989467008 (paperback) $19.95 CDN, $17.95 USD. Available via your local bookstore, Indigo/Chapters, or Amazon.ca