Many Michelin-starred restaurants have experienced the highs and lows of success over the years—and in some cases, have closed their doors entirely. If you’ve ever dined at one, you know the scene: elevated expectations, nearly impossible-to-get reservations, and a bill that makes you wince. For food lovers, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience; for the restaurant, it’s the relentless pursuit of plated perfection, day after day.
Earning a Michelin star is a mark of true excellence—one of the highest honors in the culinary world. Yet, with that recognition comes a pressure that can be all but unsustainable. It begs the question: Is the Michelin star a coveted gift, or a weighty curse?
Trusted for 100 years
For more than a century, the Michelin Guide has been a trusted resource for travelers, highlighting notable restaurants and hotels along key routes. When first published in 1900, the guide’s purpose was simple: to encourage more motorists to get on the road, according to the French tire company, with early editions highlighting places to go for gas, car repairs, hotels and other places motorists might stop on their journeys.
While Michelin is primarily known as a tire manufacturer, the automotive focus of the guide has largely been phased out since the 1930s, with its concentration homing in on culinary excellence ever since.
As its reputation grew, the guide expanded to other countries of Europe and North Africa, eventually expanding to the United States and becoming the most trusted authority in fine dining ratings. Today, Michelin evaluates more than 30,000 establishments across more than 30 territories on three continents, and more than 30 million Michelin Guides have been sold worldwide.
Yet for all its prestige, some argue being included in its star system comes with a heavy cost—one that has, in certain cases, contributed to a restaurant’s decline, or even closure.
Study claims risky business
A 2024 study from University College London (UCL) found that restaurants awarded Michelin stars are statistically more likely to close than prestigious restaurants not awarded a star. Among highly rated New York Times restaurants, nearly half of those that earned stars had closed by 2019, compared with just one in five without stars, according to the study.
Few chefs are willing to speak openly about the downsides of the coveted star, the study notes. Yet industry insiders point out that the accolade often brings rising expenses, staffing challenges, rent increases and higher supplier costs. Over the past two decades, the report highlights, six of France’s top chefs have voluntarily surrendered their stars, calling them “too burdensome.” The relentless pressure to maintain exacting standards and provide luxury ingredients and experiences has frequently left chefs in debt and teetering into exhaustion.
However, the UCL study isn’t the only one that’s taken a close look at the guide and its perception from restaurant goers and travelers alike. Another study suggests a much more favorable outcome.
Economic impact shines bright
Representatives from the Michelin Guide shared details with NorthBay biz of a 2019 Ernst & Young study regarding the economic impact of the guide in regard to destinations. The study revealed the following details which express nothing of a damper, but alternatively, a traveler’s delight.
The study found that, among frequent travelers, 76% cite the Michelin Guide as the most trustworthy reference for restaurant recommendations. When it comes to choosing a travel destination, two-thirds of frequent travelers say they would patronize a Michelin Guide destination over a comparable one. What’s more, according to the study, these travelers are more likely to stay longer—57% would extend their stay if a Michelin restaurant is available. While they stay, they are also more likely to spend more—71% of frequent travelers would increase their spending if a Michelin Guide selection existed, with two-thirds planning to spend an additional $45 or more per person per meal for a Michelin Guide restaurant experience.
While the Ernst & Young study reflects a broader view on the guide—what does it mean for the local North Bay star-studded restaurants?
A local look
Across the North Bay, from Healdsburg to Napa Valley to Sausalito, eight restaurants proudly carry a coveted Michelin star.
Each with their own unique timeline of ups, and sometimes downs, there’s no doubt the success comes with challenges.
In Yountville, Thomas Keller’s renowned French Laundry has held onto its three Michelin stars for 18 years—despite a two-year dip in the aftermath of the pandemic. Ultimately, the restaurant reclaimed its standing, emerging with its hard-earned prestige, and every star secure.
Cyrus held two stars before closing due to a landlord dispute at its original Healdsburg location in 2012.
The sting of losing a star
The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville is familiar with the sting of a Michelin loss. After more than a decade with a star to its name, the restaurant saw it slip away in 2021. Co-owner Joe Bartolomei is candid about what it really means when the shine from the star fades.
“The chef received the recognition of the star, not the restaurant,” he says, referring to Farmhouse’s former longtime chef Steve Litke, who helmed the Forestville restaurant’s kitchen throughout its 14 year stint with a Michelin star. Litke retired in 2021, and with him went the star.
Bartolomei adds that the Michelin inspectors come back year after year to see if the magic still holds.
He goes on to explain that there are two ways a restaurant can lose a star.
“One scenario,” he says, “is that Michelin re-evaluates and decides you’re not worthy—or not as strong as you once were.”
Many diners rely on the ranking; they trust the guide, he says. “So if a restaurant loses a star, it sends a clear signal: It’s not as good as it used to be—and people think, ‘I’m not going there.’”
The other scenario is a chef leaving, he explains. “Our chef retired in 2022, and you automatically lose a star when the chef leaves—whether they retire, are fired or whatever the situation might be.”
To regain Michelin’s attention, a restaurant has to bring in a new chef and re-establish itself.
“Today, we have a phenomenal chef—Craig Wilmer—who’s worked at Secret in San Francisco, Quoi and Barndiva,” he says. “But getting back on Michelin’s radar is tough. They only visit a handful of restaurants each year. In fact, in all of Sonoma, only one restaurant earned a [new] star recently.”
Having held a Michelin star for 14 years, Bartolomei reflects on what that recognition meant for the restaurant.
“We know exactly what the quality needs to be,” he says. But he notes that running the business today feels different, shaped as much by the local community as by the Michelin legacy.
“When [Steve Litke] retired, we celebrated his career and sent him off on a high note,” says Bartolomei. “Since then, we’ve been rebuilding our local presence amid a lot of changes in the county’s restaurant scene. Many people still remember us as a Michelin-starred restaurant—there are definitely pros and cons to that legacy.”
Looking back at their early days, Bartolomei explains how the restaurant helped define fine dining in Sonoma County.
“We opened in 2001, before SingleThread and Cyrus, when there wasn’t much in the way of super-fine-dining in the area,” Bartolomei says. “In many ways, we helped pave the way. My sister Catherine, who is also my partner, is a fifth-generation Sonoma County native, and we continue to benefit from the credibility and recognition the star brought.”
Still, he cautions that Michelin’s process is elusive.
“The system is very secretive—you never really know when you’re being reviewed,” he says.
Bartolomei concedes the local hospitality industry is currently facing challenges.
Regardless of the dips in business and the challenges faced, the North Bay food scene’s star power shines on.
A culinary delight
As the debate continues over whether a Michelin star is more a glory or a grind, one thing remains certain: The inspectors behind the elusive veil are pleased at where the North Bay food scene is today, and where it’s headed.
“Northern California continues to take pride in its cuisine and products,” the chief inspector of the Michelin Guide North America told NBb, requesting their name be withheld for review-secrecy purposes.
“The Inspectors were so happy to add two great new examples of restaurants to the 2025 selection: Enclos [in Sonoma] and Sons & Daughters [in San Francisco]. Both are at the top of their game in terms of strong initiatives towards eco-conscious cuisine and kitchen management. Furthermore, the new Star selection for 2025 proves even further that California is rich in local culinary talent across the entire state.”
The Star System, Explained
According to the Michelin Guide, restaurants may receive one to three Michelin Stars for the quality of their food based on five criteria: “Quality of ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors and consistency between visits.”
Note: Restaurant inspectors do not look at the interior decor, table setting or service quality when awarding stars.
One Star * High quality cooking, worth a stop.
Two Star ** Excellent cooking, worth a detour.
Three star *** Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.
Shine on
Here are the eight North Bay restaurants that currently hold a Michelin star:
- The French Laundry, Yountville ***
- SingleThread, Healdsburg ***
- Enclos, Sonoma **
- Auro, Calistoga *
- Press, St. Helena *
- Auberge De Soleil, Rutherford *
- Kenzo, Napa *
- Cyrus, Geyserville *
Gone But Not Forgotten
The Michelin Guide has been covering San Francisco Bay Area restaurants since 2006. Here are a handful of North Bay restaurants that received Michelin stars and closed within five years.
- Mirepoix in Windsor received a star in 2011 and rebranded as a barbecue restaurant later that year.
- Applewood in Guerneville was bestowed stars in 2011 and 2012; closed in 2015.
- Ubuntu in Napa received stars from 2010 to 2012; it closed in 2012.
- El Paseo in Mill Valley was awarded a star in 2010, before being sold to musician Sammy Hagar and chef Tyler Florence and rebranding as a steakhouse in 2011.
- Martini House in St. Helena received a star in 2007; closed in 2010.
- Etoile in Yountville enjoyed stars in 2011 and 2012, before closing in 2015.
Other restaurants that received Michelin stars and closed sometime after, include:
- Redd in Yountville received stars from 2008 to 2014; it closed in 2018.
- K&L Bistro in Sebastopol earned stars multiple times beginning in 2007; it closed in 2022.
- Murray Circle in Sausalito received stars multiple times beginning in 2009; the restaurant closed in 2023.
