Grapevine chef attracts folks from all over after his long journey to success in Texas

If you’ve ever eaten on Main Street in Grapevine, there’s a good chance you were dining in a restaurant run by executive chef Fabien Goury. After all, he operates three, Chez Fabien, Main Street Bistro & Bakery, and Piaf.

“I started baking at a young age,” Goury recalled. “I’m No. 10 of 10 children, two girls, six boys, one girl, me. My mom was pregnant for 13 years and running a business with my dad and no one to help.

“Mom was cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, so I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her and my grandma.”

His mom would no doubt be proud of what her son has accomplished in one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s most notable tourist cities. Folks come from all over to enjoy his cuisine.

And he came a long way to create it.

After attending culinary school in France, Goury and his wife, Yasmine, moved to the United States in 1983 from Luxembourg, though his original landing wasn’t Grapevine. In fact, he was told Austin was “the best place on earth.” So he packed his bags, but instead ended up in Dallas at Preston and Royal.

It was purely by accident — and necessity — that he found his way to Grapevine. And once there, they knew they had to stay, he said.

“We needed a bread oven. The Bread House in Grapevine had one for sale, and we fell in love with Grapevine’s downtown, and 22 years later we are still there,” Goury said.

Goury and his businesses provide bread, desserts, croissants, cookies and more for many DFW hotels, coffee shops, book stores and even about a half a dozen airlines out of DFW Airport. One of the bakery’s most popular items is the cronut, a hybrid mix of a donut and a croissant.

Main Street Bistro & Bakery opened in 2000 and is a great place to grab a cappuccino and freshly baked pastry.

A couple years later, they knocked down one of the walls and expanded to open Chez Fabien next door, which takes visitors to a bistro setting in France, complete with a craft cocktail bar. Piaf opened a couple years ago about a block away from the other two and specializes in food from the French and Mediterranean region.

And everything is made from scratch.

“We are your home away from home,” Goury said.

Goury expanded to other locations, but he sold his Plano bistro in 2010, while COVID-19 forced the closure of others in Richardson and Rowlett. However, the locations in Grapevine continue to be popular and have weathered the pandemic. Like virtually everywhere, Goury admits times are challenging with costs going up and down, rents rising and tight profits.

He credits his employees for continued success of his restaurants.

“As a company we are very proud of our team,” Goury said. “From the dishwasher to the GM, everyone is a piece that makes the complicated machine work. You come for the food, stay for the mood.”