Thierry Stern acquires the prestigious fine-dining restaurant«Le Lion d'Or». He remains tight-lipped about his plans for now.
If there were a «Guide Michelin» for luxury watches, both «Rolex» and «Patek Philippe» would be solid contenders for top ratings. When it comes to their brand, they are the strongest symbols of Swiss «haute horlogerie».
In addition to watchmaking, Thierry Stern, owner and chairman of Patek Philippe, is now venturing into culinary realms.
As reported yesterday by the Swiss business magazine «Bilan,» the watch patron acquires the fine-dining establishment «Le Lion d'Or» in Cologny. The previous owner, Geneva-based real estate entrepreneur Abdallah Chatila, originally from Lebanon, is currently divesting extensively from investments in the gastronomy and hospitality sector.
Fine Dining Institution
The «Lion d'Or» has been one of the gastronomic institutions in the Lake Geneva area for decades. Under the stewardship of Swiss culinary greats like Louis Pelletier, Daniel Ficht, and Jean-Paul Goddard, it has been cooking at a two-star level most of the time since the 1970s.
So far, he has been cooking at Lake Geneva without a star. The new owner is not yet revealing his plans for the restaurant. It is however known that Patek Philippe has already been hosting corporate events there before.
Peter Spuhler and Jan Schoch
Stern is not the only Swiss business giant active in upscale gastronomy. Luxury goods entrepreneur Silvio Denz (e.g. Lalique) owns three two-star establishments. In Champfèr near St. Moritz, industrialist Michael Pieper is owning the «Talvo by Dalsass» together with railway entrepreneur Peter Spuhler.
«Gasthaus Krone» in the Appenzell Ausserrhoden municipality of Speicher is owned by former Wegelin banker Konrad Hummler. And in Gonten, also in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, former Leonteq CEO Jan Schoch runs the «Bären» where he has already been visited by finews.com.
