Star-Studded Cities

The economic impact of becoming a Michelin city

“We want to elevate the food and beverage scene in Raleigh with a Michelin-starred restaurant,” developer Steven Beattie told us last month in revealing his vision for Raleigh’s newest billion-dollar-baby The Exchange Raleigh. “If you want to shop, go to North Hills,” joked the Dewitt Executive Vice President, “if you want to eat, come to The Exchange.”

That aspiration sparked inspiration. What would having a Michelin restaurant entail? And what would that mean for our city? 

For starters, a city can’t just get a Michelin-rated restaurant. Michelin only launches in select cities—so even if you have the world’s best restaurant, it wouldn’t earn Michelin status unless it were in a city Michelin covers.

Long the gold standard of culinary excellence, Michelin is the authority on the best dining across the globe, launching a Michelin Guide in select dining destinations it deems worthy. Released annually (with updates announced throughout the year), it imparts a host of short reviews and symbols, the most esteemed of which is the star—and stars can be added or taken away. Achieving that coveted star means you’ve reached, well, star status. It’s the peak of par excellence. And, no doubt, the star’s reverence is in how hard it is to achieve. 

For the sake of significance, it took almost 100 years to get France-based Michelin to the U.S. New York City saw the Guide’s first leap across the Atlantic in 2006 with the premiere of Michelin Guide New York City, awarding stars to 39 restaurants (now that number is 73). The sheer volume of starred restaurants—and the Guide itself—speaks to a place’s need to have more than just one or two high-profile Michelin-ready restaurants. A locale has to be worthy of a Guide—and competition is fierce. Michelin is looking across the entire globe.

Beyond status, stars translate to dollars. Pundits have long postured that restaurants play a significant role in a city’s gentrification and economic prosperity. Looking directly at the Michelin Guide’s impact on economic development in Chicago, researchers found “an increase of one Michelin Guide restaurant leads to a .5% increase (or roughly $1,141) in the home value of the median home in a neighborhood.” And, according to Forbes, as Michelin’s first statewide Guide in the U.S. (more on this to follow), California had high expectations for a resulting surge in tourism.

While having a Michelin restaurant in Raleigh is not quite as simple as Beattie dreams—which he humbly admits—Raleigh has quite the résumé. “I’m an engineer and developer—not a chef or food critic,” he says. “But I do know we have some amazing restaurants in Raleigh with creative chefs who should be mentioned in any conversation about the nation’s top talent.” 

Clearly, Raleigh has already earned its spot on the foodie map—see for starters our growing list of James Beard Foundation Awards winners, finalists and nominees. But as illustrious as Beard is, Michelin is next-level. With only 28 titles spread across 25 countries—only four of which were in the U.S. at the start of 2022—the exclusivity factor alone tells most of the story. Those include NYC (which expanded to include Westchester County in 2020), Chicago, DC and California—the latter an unprecedented statewide expansion out of San Francisco in 2019 in partnership with Visit California, and serving as Michelin’s first statewide Guide. As of this June, Michelin added to its statewide roster with the launch of its inaugural Guide in Florida in partnership with Visit Florida, spanning Tampa, Miami and Orlando, and awarding 15 new Michelin-starred restaurants in the latter two cities.

A similar partnership with NC’s tourism arm could certainly give Raleigh a leg up. But as a city that continues to make top perennial lists of best places to X, Y, Z, has Raleigh proven it’s ready? “Raleigh is a world-class city with a dining scene that has already earned many accolades and honors,” notes Beattie. “As the city continues to grow and draw attention, we expect to see even more recognition on the national and international stage.” Only time will tell when Michelin finds our fair city worthy of a Guide. Until then, you’ll find us wishing on a star.

Current U.S. Michelin Series

• New York City (2006), expanded to include Westchester County in 2020
• San Francisco, LA (2007 and ’08): In 2019, the cities were no longer separate publications & one guide was issued for the state of California
• Chicago (2011)
• Washington DC (2016)
• Florida: Miami, Orlando and Tampa (2022)

The So What Factor
Making it in the Michelin Guide is the epitome of epicurean greatness—with the globally renowned Michelin Stars serving as the highest accolade of culinary excellence bar none. The seemingly unattainable and rare aspect of the stars is what makes them so coveted.

Michelin Stars—How It Works
Michelin awards up to three stars to the creme de la creme restaurants based on five criteria: 

• Quality of the ingredients used
• Mastery of flavor and cooking techniques
• Personality of the chef in his cuisine
• Value for money
• Consistency between visits. 

Michelin Forks and Spoons—How It Works
When awarding stars, Michelin inspectors don’t consider such aspects as interior decor, table settings or quality of service. These criteria are instead demonstrated by the fork and spoon symbol—aka the number of “covers” awarded.

Michelin Bib Gourmand—How It Works
Not quite star status but highly esteemed, the Bib Gourmand—named for the friendly Michelin Man Bibendum—recognizes eateries that serve up fab fare at pocket-friendly prices.

Michelin Man 
Yes—that Michelin. Before “Michelin” became a beacon of gourmet greatness, it was—and still is—that France-born tire company. Michelin splashed on the culinary scene with the launch of its first guide in 1900.  

Who’s the Judge?
Restaurant inspectors aren’t just your average joes. These top toques are usually highly educated in hospitality with seasoned résumés—and undergo rigorous training to become an inspector to boot. Adding extra je ne sais quoi and cool factor, their identities are also kept under wraps. So, like epicurean CIA agents (Central Intelligence Agency meets Culinary Institute of America, if you will).