French bistro Once Upon a Time In France, located at 1102 Gallatin Ave. in East Nashville, is under new ownership. Ramy Habib and Majed Mikhail purchased the spot earlier this fall.
Father-and-son team Laurent Champonnois and Melvil Arnt opened the family business in 2019. It offers authentic French entrees such as boeuf bourguignon, filet mignon and confit de canard, as well as French wine and cocktails.
Mikhail told What Now Nashville that he and Habib wanted to get into the business due to their love of food and service. When they learned Once Upon a Time in France was for sale, they saw an opportunity to keep a business they love alive.
“The restaurant business is hard. It’s challenging for small, locally-operated restaurants to stay in business. My partner and I fell in love with Once Upon a Time before we were even considering buying a restaurant. When we found out it was for sale, that desire to keep it open and prosperous for the community is another element that drove us to purchase Once Upon a Time,” Mikhail said. “Small businesses are closing everywhere. It’s a hard business with long hours, thin margins and issues from everywhere, but it’s very important to hold onto that because they represent a unique experience that you will not find in other locations that are part of a chain or franchise.”
The new ownership team plans to keep the spot largely the same, with the addition of an elevated experience for the food and service. They plan to maintain the authentic French bistro’s cozy atmosphere reminiscent of 1920s Paris. Mikhail feels that maintaining the unique qualities of the concept are vital, especially as other local spots like Margot Cafe and Bar close. Margot will close in June.
“Once Upon a Time is a local favorite in the East Nashville area,” Mikhail said. “It’s uniquely positioned to offer a French bistro experience that has nothing similar to it in the Nashville market.”
Moving forward, the new owners hope to form relationships with customers and other local businesses, focusing on maintaining their quality standards.
“We want the local community to come together to support local businesses and preserve what made East Nashville what it is today,” Mikhail said.
