New Zealand’s most highly awarded and esteemed restaurateurs, Creghan Molloy-Wright and Simon Wright of The French Cafe, are stepping aside from the restaurant after twenty years.
Seeking a new challenge, and more time together as a family, the successful husband and wife team are temporarily moving out of Auckland for a lifestyle change.
From September, the restaurant will be renamed Sid at The French Café, with highly respected Sid and Chand Sahrawat taking over from Simon and Creghan.
“Creghan and I are immensely proud of all we have accomplished in our twenty years at The French Café,” says Simon.
“None of our success would be possible without our French Café family – our incredible team, first-class suppliers and of course, our customers, who have helped make The French Café what it is today.”
“We have poured so much into the restaurant and worn our hearts on our sleeves. To be moving on is with such mixed emotion.”
Creghan says she and Simon would only pass the ownership over to the right people.
In the Sahrawat’s they see the passion and dedication required to evolve the legacy that they have worked so hard to create.
“This decision has been amongst the most challenging of our lives,” says Creghan. “But we know it’s the right one – Sid and Chand are absolute professionals, and will continue to have our incredible team working with them to ensure customers are delivered the holistic experience they come to enjoy.
“Simon and I have so many dreams about our future and what is next. It’s time we take action, and make them our reality, and spend more time together as a family.”
In the meantime, Simon and Creghan look forward to the next few months running The French Café with the same passion, rigor and perfection they are famous for.
The menu will also include some special additions, with Simon bringing back some customer favourite dishes from past menus.
“Until the day I finish I will be putting my heart and soul into delivering the best culinary experience possible,” says Simon.
“We still have so much love and energy for this industry, but after nearly 20 years it’s time for a change.”
