We were lucky to catch up with Travis Fourmont recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Travis thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Bar Pigalle is located in the Brush Park neighborhood of Detroit. This area was coined Little Paris back in the 1920s when our building was build. Pigalle is a neighborhood in Paris known for cocktail bars, hospitality and nightlife. After a trip to Paris while working on the business plan, I decided to explore what a French/American concept would look like in Detroit. After a tremendous amount of market reach I decide to lean into the bar model. We are a full operating restaurant. However, our vibe fells more like a cocktail bar. This allows us to be unintimidating. We focus on humble hospitality.

Travis, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The Pacific northwest is where I began my career. I went to culinary school just outside Seattle, WA. Soon after, I packed my bags and headed off to Portland, OR, where I bartended for five years at a Kimpton Hotel. In 2007, I made the jump to Detroit, MI. Along the way, I have received numerous awards and accolades, ranging from GQ and Bombay Sapphire’s top 10 bartenders of North America to Woodford Reserve and Esquire magazine’s Master of the Manhattan. After spending a couple years competing in national cocktail competitions, I was recruited by Great Lakes Wine and Spirits where I served as Cocktail Ambassador. With a career of traveling around Michigan consulting with bar owners, training bartenders, crafting cocktail menus, and implementing bar efficiencies, I decided it was time to pursue my own project.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My wife and I secured SBA funding March 13th, 2022. This was literally the day after the original Covid lockdown. This was a crazy time… My thought was, we don’t have to use the funds, but we’ll likely not get another chance anytime soon. We walked into the bank and signed the paperwork with one bank employee. Then, I quietly worked on deigned, planning etc. for a full year before signing with a General Contractor. Then, that contractor stole money from us and never did any work. We had to secure more funds several times. In totality, it took 3 years to complete the project. This was the hardest things I’ve ever done.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

My business partner and I actually worked together for 5 years at Michael Symon’s Roast in the Book Cadillac Hotel. Our Executive Chef also worked there. Knowing how amazing our team has made the project so much better. Our Chef Nyle Flynn is extremely talented and he is a great leader. My General Manager and partner Joseph Allerton is very seasoned and is strong where I am weak. Knowing I do not have to micro manage makes day to day operations that much easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barpigalle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barpigalle/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barpigalledetroit
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-fourmont-b594a076/

Image Credits
All Photos please: Bureau Detroit