Pancakes in Paris - Living the American Dream in France Book

Any expat knows the unique frustration of not being able to find American staples like peanut butter and pumpkin pie abroad. But thanks to Craig Carlson and his restaurant Breakfast in America, it s now possible to get hearty pancakes and creamy milkshakes in the heart of Paris, the city of croissants and crepes.

Craig was the last person anyone would expect to open a restaurant in Paris. For one, he s not French. He had no experience running any sort of business, and he had no idea how to navigate the notorious French bureaucracy.

But what he did have was determination and a dream. Pancakes in Paris combines delightful tales of humour and hope with the satisfaction of an old-fashioned American breakfast.

Craig Carlson is the owner and founder of Breakfast in America, the first American-style diner in Paris, which has been featured in The Lonely Planet and Frommer's Paris travel guides. He lives in Paris with his boyfriend.

"Craig's book is cheerful as his diners, and as satisfying as his pancake breakfasts." --Stephen Clarke, author of A Year in the Merde and Paris Revealed

"How the author created the ultimate American diner experience in Paris. Carlson s love of all things French began when he was required to take a foreign language in high school. Learning French changed his perspective on the world, and it was only natural to choose France as his destination for his collegiate study-abroad program. When his year overseas was up, he returned to America to continue pursuing his screenwriting career. But it was while eating an American breakfast complete with buckwheat pancakes that Carlson had an epiphany that changed his life. He realised the food he was eating wasn't available in Paris. "Suddenly, I could see everything so clearly....I realised all those twists and turns, all those ups and downs...They really had happened for a reason. And at that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do no, had to do next: open an American diner in Paris! I even knew what I was going to call it Breakfast in America." With nonstop enthusiasm, the author details the many obstacles he faced to make his dream a reality. He needed to secure money from investors, create a viable business plan, find a good location, hire employees, create a menu, and find sources for American foods, all while on French soil and following French rules, which turned out to be vastly different from those in the United States. Despite all these setbacks, the exhaustion that comes from working almost every minute, and the difficulty convincing Parisians that American food and coffee are actually tasty, Carlson's desire to bring American diner food to Paris paid off (there are now three locations). The author demonstrates that no idea is too crazy if one has the determination to pursue it to its fruition. A light, entertaining story of how a man turned his pipe dream into a profitable, highly respected business."
Kirkus