FRANCOIS 2ND

What FRANCOIS 2ND does

L'Auberge Chez François is a privately held, family-owned French fine dining restaurant operating since 1954 from a six-acre property at 332 Springvale Road in Great Falls, Virginia. Founded by François Haeringer as Chez François in Washington, D.C., the restaurant relocated to Great Falls in the 1980s-1990s and was repositioned as an auberge (country inn) destination. It is now operated in its second generation by Chef Jacques Haeringer (executive chef and proprietor) and Paul Haeringer, with no external investors, venture capital, or parent company involvement. The business serves two distinct dining concepts on a single campus: the upscale L'Auberge Chez François offering prix-fixe and à la carte Alsatian-inspired menus, and the adjacent Jacques' Brasserie providing more casual French dining and happy hour service. The property also includes two on-site organic gardens, a koi pond, multiple dining rooms, outdoor terraces, and a 40ft x 55ft covered Grande Tente event space.

Revenue is generated primarily through in-person dining transactions (à la carte, prix-fixe menus) plus a growing layer of ticketed special culinary events — including musical wine suppers, cooking demonstrations, garden-to-table dinners, and themed supper experiences priced from $118 to $202 per person. A secondary revenue stream comes from private and corporate event bookings, weddings, and group celebrations using the on-site event spaces. A small e-commerce component operates via the chefjacques.com shop selling gift cards, cookbooks, chocolate truffles, wine glasses, and branded merchandise. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer — walk-in and reservation-based dining (phone, website, OpenTable) and event ticket sales through the company website — with no third-party delivery or marketplace presence. The customer base spans romantic and special-occasion diners, food and wine enthusiasts, corporate event clients, and wedding parties across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and Northern Virginia.

The business operates with 85+ employees across kitchen, service, and management functions, and has earned sustained industry recognition including OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants in America (multiple years through 2025), OpenTable Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants (2026), Washingtonian 100 Best Restaurants (multi-decade recognition through 2023), and Virginia Living Magazine #1 Fine Dining in Northern Virginia (2023). The Haeringer family has pursued selective ecosystem partnerships — notably with Lost Rhino Brewing Company for co-branded craft beer and with Tauck Travel for international culinary hosting — but has not pursued geographic expansion, external funding, or franchise/licensing models. The offering is fundamentally a culinary and hospitality experience built on multi-generational recipes, chef-led execution, and a destination venue, not a technology-enabled business.

Name

FRANCOIS 2ND

Legal name

L'Auberge Chez François

Website

https://www.laubergechezfrancois.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Short description

L'Auberge Chez François is a privately held, second-generation family French fine dining restaurant and brasserie in Great Falls, Virginia, serving prix-fixe, à la carte, and ticketed culinary events to DC metro special-occasion diners, food and wine enthusiasts, and private event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI), Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• French fine dining
• Prix fixe menus
• Private event catering
• Culinary experiences
• Wine pairing dinners

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fine Dining Restaurant: The primary revenue stream is from sit-down dining services at L'Auberge Chez François (upscale French fine dining) and Jacques' Brasserie (more casual French dining). Revenue is generated through à la carte menus, prix-fixe menus, and special event dining experiences including multi-course tasting menus with wine pairings.
2. Special Events and Private Dining: Revenue from ticketed special events including musical dinners, wine tasting events, cooking demonstrations, and private event bookings. Events typically range from $118-$202 per person for multi-course experiences with wine pairings.
3. Retail and Gift Items: Sale of gift certificates, cookbooks, chocolate truffles, wine glasses, and other culinary merchandise through Chef Jacques' online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

L'Auberge Chez François operates a traditional French fine dining restaurant and adjacent casual brasserie in Great Falls, Virginia, offering prix-fixe and à la carte menus, wine dinners, cooking demonstrations, musical brunches, private event catering, and an online store for gift certificates, cookbooks, and branded merchandise. The business is anchored by traditional Alsatian recipes sourced partly from its on-site organic gardens and a multi-generational family kitchen tradition dating to 1954.

Product overview

L'Auberge Chez Francois operates as a family-owned fine dining establishment with two distinct dining venues: the upscale L'Auberge Chez Francois (fine French dining with prix-fixe menus) and Jacques' Brasserie (casual a la carte dining). The company offers experiential dining products including special culinary events (wine dinners, cooking demonstrations, musical brunches), private dining services, garden-to-table experiences using ingredients from their on-site organic gardens, and retail merchandise through their online store. The portfolio centers on traditional French Alsatian cuisine and romantic dining experiences, with the main restaurant celebrating 71 years of operation since 1954.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• L'Auberge Chez François Fine Dining An upscale French fine dining restaurant in Great Falls, Virginia, offering prix-fixe and à la carte menus of traditional Alsatian cuisine in multiple dining rooms, garden terraces, and a fireplace-equipped country inn setting for individual diners, couples, and special occasion guests.
• Jacques' Brasserie A more casual French brasserie concept located downstairs from L'Auberge Chez François, offering à la carte Alsatian-inspired dishes, brunch service, happy hour, and outdoor seating for walk-in guests seeking a relaxed alternative to the upstairs fine dining room.
• Special Culinary Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Consistently ranked in OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants in America (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lost Rhino Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Collaboration with local Ashburn brewery Lost Rhino Brewing Company for craft beer offerings, including 'Papa's Pilsner' brewed in honor of Papa Haeringer. Lost Rhino brewers attend craft beer events at the restaurant and provide guided tastings of their beer lineup.
• Tauck (Travel Company)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2019Culinary travel and cruise partnership with Tauck, an award-winning family-owned travel company. Chef Jacques serves as culinary host on travel experiences to destinations including Portugal, Tuscany, and South of France.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mon Ami Gabi: Multi-location French brasserie/bistro chain (Las Vegas, Chicago, Bethesda, etc.) with classic French fare and a casual brasserie identity. Comparable as a French-format dining operator with a brasserie sub-concept, though at a more casual price point and broader geographic footprint.
• Le Bernardin: Michelin-starred French seafood fine dining institution in New York City. Comparable as a globally recognized, decades-old French fine dining reference point for prestige, prix-fixe format, and culinary reputation.
• The French Laundry: Thomas Keller's 3-Michelin-star destination restaurant in Yountville, California, renowned for its tasting menu and special-occasion positioning. Comparable as a benchmark destination fine dining concept with multi-year reservation demand.

Direct peers

• The Inn at Little Washington: Relocated 3-Michelin-star destination restaurant in Washington, Virginia (also Northern Virginia) offering high-end prix-fixe tasting menus, overnight accommodations, and private event hosting. Directly comparable as a long-standing, family-rooted, special-occasion destination competing for the same DC-metro fine dining customer.
• Rasika: DC fine dining Indian restaurant group from chef Ashok Bajaj with a prix-fixe tasting format and award-winning wine program. Comparable as a long-tenured DC-metro destination restaurant competing for special occasions and press recognition.
• Fiola by Fabio Trabocchi: Italian fine dining destination in Washington DC with an adjoining more-casual concept (Fiola Mare). Comparable in operating model — flagship fine dining plus a brasserie-style adjacent offering — and in competing for the same DC special-occasion diner.
• Blue Duck Tavern: American fine dining restaurant inside the Park Hyatt Washington DC, emphasizing seasonal, hearth-driven cuisine and an extensive wine program. Comparable as a DC-metro destination fine dining concept competing for special-occasion and business-dining occasions.
• Marcel's by Robert Wiedmaier: DC-based fine dining restaurant from chef Robert Wiedmaier offering contemporary French-Belgian cuisine, prix-fixe menus, and private event space. Comparable as a top-tier French-leaning fine dining competitor in the same Washington DC metro market.

Others

• Tauck (culinary travel programs): Existing channel partner of L'Auberge Chez François that hosts Chef Jacques on culinary river-cruise experiences. Included as a strategic-adjacent counterparty rather than a competitor; represents how the restaurant's brand extends into the culinary tourism value chain.

Regional players

• Bistro Bis: French-leaning bistro inside the Hotel George in downtown Washington DC. Comparable as a French-format restaurant in the same metro area, though positioned at a lower price tier and lacking the destination/estate footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LaubergeChezF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ChefJacquesHaeringer
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61562752126587
• Instagraminstagram.com/laubergechezfrancois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FRANCOIS 2ND