Can Chain Restaurants Receive Michelin Stars?

Everyone in the world of food — and automobiles — knows the name Michelin. The brand has become an icon of culinary innovation and inspiration, signifying a restaurant where a meal might cost a month's rent, but the experience will last a lifetime. At times, it can be unclear what it takes to qualify for Michelin status, and a commonly asked question is whether chains are eligible for the prestigious award. The answer, perhaps unhelpfully, is a resounding yes — with many conditions. Let's break it down. 

The most important thing to understand is that Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants, not chefs. A chef can (and should!) brag that they helped win a restaurant a star, but that is a non-transferable honor, meaning that said chef wouldn't take the star with them if they leave, nor would the restaurant lose it — at least, not until the official judgement of the following year is rendered. In the same vein, a restaurant that is part of a chain can win a Michelin star, but that doesn't confer onto the chain itself. For example, Sushi Ginza Onodera is a renowned sushi chain, proudly represented by 20 locations worldwide, as well as a number of honors, including a history of receiving Michelin stars. While its West Hollywood and Tokyo locations each hold one star, its Honolulu and Shanghai branches do not. 

The number of restaurant chains that can boast a Michelin star in at least one branch is low, especially given how many Michelin star restaurants are in the U.S. alone (264!). But it makes sense when you consider the rubric that is employed by the anonymous inspector system that judges potential Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Restaurants are judged on five metrics: ingredient quality, mastery displayed, how the chef's personality is embodied by the dishes, harmony of flavors, and consistency from one inspection to the next. Given this rubric, it's not difficult to see why a restaurant that's part of a chain, or even one under a large umbrella such as Gordon Ramsey London, could lose its Michelin stars (granted, Ramsey had left the Gordon Ramsey London long before the loss of stars occurred). 

Consistency across visits and the embodiment of a chef's aesthetic or philosophy are hard enough for stand-alone restaurants to pull off, let alone for a restaurant chain that constantly experiences moving parts in according with all its locations. For example, the chef of a chain might be pulled in a thousand directions due to volume and keeping up with global demands, therefore, consistency and innovation can both take a back seat to simply keeping all those plates in the air. Because of that, a chain that can overcome this and wins the honor of a Michelin star is deserving of an extra level of respect from food lovers.