REAL TALK - with FRANÇOIS O'NEILL

François O'Neil started washing pots in his father (Hughie's) restaurant, the Brasserie St. Quentin, where many nationalities and personalities left an indelible mark on his experience of working in a team. In 2020 François opened Maison François, operating amongst his team, as one of his team, to create lasting memories for his customers. 

"I grew up in this industry. My dad used the restaurant to eat-&-drink, which inlcuded alcohol every day - there's just no way I could do that. I now view what we do, at the pace we move in London, across two sites etc, as a competitive sport. I want to curate the best team, the best 11-so-to-speak, around me to deal with the requirements that confront us. The best restaurants do-&-die by their team."

MF: Tell me about your day-to-day?

FO: I like to do a cold plunge. I get up and dunk for 3-mins in the garden, before anything else. Mentally it is fantastic and really centres me. It's hard doing this at 6:30 through the winter, but it's a ritual and a rewarding one. 

Every day is different. If I plan well, I can harmonise how many times I need to ferry between Borough and Mayfair. We're currently looking at another site in London and sites abroad as well... I've been travelling a fair bit between East-&-West, which shakes up the routine. But back here I want to be on the floor and I don't wear a suit, as I want to be part of the team without the emphasis of me being the owner. I don't want to distance myself and I want to embody what we all do here, so I am on foot a lot. 

Interior at Maison François, Mayfair

MF: What's the best part of your job?

FO: Counting the money...haha. No, I love not working at a desk and I can to some extent choose my own day. But above and beyond that the nicest thing by far is being trusted to create moments, lasting memories and curate experiences for people...

Oh no, did you just hear that? ...another breakage! ...that's the pain point of the job...hahaha.

The reality of what we do is to make people joyful and if money comes about from doing that, then great. My focus is on creating a harmonious environment for my customers and that begins with your staff, who need to feel calm and in charge of what they need to do. 

This is a high-pressure environment, so there's no point adding to that with flared tempers or unnecessary agro - we want the staff to feel confident and exude an air of happiness, which transfers directly to the customer. We want our customers to come in and escape the outside, to be here as a public home and be in a curated place of charm. 

François wearing a Flyweight 2:0 tee, in Graphite

MF: How does movement & exercise help you mentally and physically?

FO: It's so key - I have to be in the best place I can be mentally and physically, in order to navigate the demands of running a restaurant, for my team and my customers ...and of course my family. For me to keep an even keel mentally, I need to feel fit and capable.

FO: Sleep - I've been in a sleep deficit since I had my first kid! haha ...no, it's important to contextualise hard things and know that nothing lasts forever. I would say feeling fit and capable and looking after myself allows me to cope with life. These days, If I play - I Pay. I can't handle the impact that a big night out can have on me and my ability to manage. 

I don't meditate, but I get a turbo-effect of centreing-&-calm via my daily cold plunges and that really helps me. 

Inetrior at Cafe François, Borough Market

MF: What one thing could you not live without?

FO: Good question!

MF: You're allowed to say your family..!

FO: Hahaha, I wasn't even thinking that... that's terrible. No, I would say (of course!) family aside, I couldn't live without my exercise. If I was told I could not exercise, I would be gutted. I recently had an operation on my hand and the only question I wanted to ask the Doctor was - "When can I exercise again" and what can I do otherwise. It's so important for me. 

MF: What does the world look like in 5-years, ideal scenario?

FO: I'm rich and I've retired... hahaha.

No, it's got to be a world where my loved ones are all still around me, everyone is happy and everyone is together, under one roof. We might have a restaurant in 3-different continents in a year's time and that's great, but all I really want to be doing is enjoying going through it all.

Creating an environment for my family, that they all choose to be a part of, would be the greatest success for me. The mark of success is if your children want to hang out with you, right.

MF: What's the best day of the year for you?

FO: My birthday! hahaha, no... another great question.

I am gonna say September 1st. For me September heralds the beginning of the year and our busiest quarter for the restaurant. I love the run up to Christmas.

September feels fresh, everyone's had a break and is rejuvenated, looking like they've had some sun and it's still pleasant. A lovely time of year.

MF: What one thing would you love to get off your chest?

FO: I don't have a huge amount I can think of to get off my chest, buuut I am a sucker for a good tv series and I should read more.

Hang on, here's something - I am not on instagram, but I am a voyeur... it's very dangerous and I really should spend my time doing other things.