“I arrived with a backpack, 500 dollars, and my best friend.”
Twenty years later, Germain Michel is at the helm of several wine bars and restaurants under the Amélie brand, from San Francisco to New York, including Fairfax and Washington D.C. He just received the FABA 2025 award for Best Food Business in the San Francisco Bay Area—a recognition that honors not just an entrepreneurial journey, but a philosophy: putting people at the heart of everything. 
A childhood dream… come true
Germain grew up in Valence, in the heart of the Rhône Valley. Born into a family of mechanics, he dreamed from a young age of one day owning his own restaurant. Kitchen internships, summer jobs, first services… he immersed himself in the restaurant world early on. At 21, he left for the United States to learn English. He never left.
Settled in San Francisco, he worked various jobs until meeting Samy, a seasoned restaurateur, who entrusted him with managing the restaurant Chouchou. Two years later, in 2006, they opened Amélie on Polk Street, a next-gen wine bar in a then-underdeveloped neighborhood. It clicked immediately.
Growth built on trust
Amélie quickly became a hub for the French-European community. Expansion followed an organic rhythm: New York’s West Village in 2011, the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant “Michel” in Oakland, the Upper West Side in 2018, then Washington D.C. and finally Fairfax in 2020.
Each new opening was built on a trusted relationship. “I like to partner with people I know and have worked with. These are human stories before they are business projects.”
A curated and personal wine list
At Amélie, the wine list is never improvised. Germain has passed Level 3 of the Court of Master Sommelier diploma, a globally recognized certification. He is also co-owner of a biodynamic vineyard in the Minervois (Domaine de Somail) and launched a Malbec cuvée in Argentina. He works with importers he knows personally and selects his bottles rigorously—but always with trust: “I need to know the palate of the people I work with, and they need to understand mine.”
In the kitchen, it’s Anthony Le Mortalec, a chef trained at Ducasse in Paris, who oversees the menus. He has also worked at Plouf, Garçon in San Francisco, and Boqueria in New York. He is now a partner at the D.C. location and collaborates closely with Germain on all menus. In San Francisco, Oscar, who’s been there for 18 years, leads the kitchen.
People first
The word comes up again and again in Germain’s mouth: people. His teams are loyal.
“Most of my cooks have been with me for over ten years. Even the dishwashers.” He respects them, pays them well, and gives them responsibilities. “I want them to be better than me, not clones. I set the framework, but I let them be themselves.”
This kind of high-expectation benevolence comes with a real desire to share knowledge: every two weeks, he organizes quizzes for his teams about dishes, food and wine pairings, or service. “I love sharing what I learn. Knowledge is a collective energy.”
Famélie: one word says it all
A neon sign glows at the Polk Street bar, simple and bright: “Famélie”. A blend of family and Amélie, it says everything: here, you are with family.
Not the one you were born into, but the one you choose, build, and keep. The one made of loyal customers, former employees turned partners, familiar suppliers, and cooks who have been around for 10, 15, or 18 years.
“Famélie” is more than a pun—it is a state of mind.
Efficiency serving a vision
Behind Amélie’s warm and laid-back atmosphere lies real business discipline. Germain leaves nothing to chance: he knows his margins, tracks KPIs, and optimizes his menus. To save time and stay focused on what matters, he relies on modern tools and AI to refine food costs and structure menus.
This approach reflects his agile entrepreneurial mindset, his culture of excellence, and his adaptability to today’s tools—without ever losing sight of the soul of his establishments.
A discipline inspired by the tatami
Alongside his professional activities, Germain trains intensely in jiu-jitsu. This martial art brings him discipline, humility, and the ability to take hits and bounce back—qualities he applies to restaurant management.
“Jiu-jitsu grounds me. It’s a demanding discipline, but it helps me stay balanced—especially in such an intense profession.”
What’s next?
No rushed expansion. Germain prefers to consolidate what already exists, evolve the menus, and refine the guest experience. He also talks about sharing more, training his teams, and spreading even further the Amélie spirit—one of warmth, rigor, and genuine love for the craft.
Is Amélie’s longevity thanks to Germain himself? Maybe. But it’s especially his way of always putting people first—in his relationships with customers, employees, and partners. A rare and precious mindset.
Merci, Germain!
