Even though the full-service restaurants of EPCOT’s France pavilion remain closed at this time, that doesn’t mean there is no activity going on behind the scenes. Today, Executive Chef Bruno Vrignon announced that he will be retiring after 38 years.
What’s Happening:
- Bruno Vrignon, Executive Chef at the table service restaurants of the France Pavilion in EPCOT’s World Showcase, is retiring after 38 years of working in the park.
- He has been Chef at the pavilion since the park opened in 1982, overseeing the Chefs De France and Monsieur Paul restaurants. The restaurants are operated by third-party company, JBI LLC, owned by Jerome Bocuse, the son of one of the founding chefs of the restaurants, Master Chef Paul Bocuse.
- Before he took over the restaurants at the park, Vrignon was chef de partie at Restaurant Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d’or, near Lyon, France
- Reportedly, Vrignon, who has dual citizenship, did not mention any immediate career plans but does intend to stay in Central Florida.
- JBI LLC’s Executive Director, Eric Weistroffer, said that there has been no decision made on who will replace Vrignon as the executive chef of the restaurants.
- The restaurants still remain closed at this time, even though EPCOT reopened on July 15th. With the park operating with a reduced capacity, attendance numbers are not reaching a point where JBI is ready to open a full operation. For the time being, the only operating food locations in the France pavilion are the Bakery near the exit of Impressions De France/Beauty and the Beast Singalong, and the neighboring ice cream shop.
- As part of “A Taste of Food and Wine,” there is also a kiosk available for the time being in the France pavilion.
- At this time, there has been no date given for the restaurants to reopen.