Michelin-Starredโ Bozar Restaurant in Lasne Faces Transition After Chef’s Departure
Lasne, Belgium – โ Bozar Restaurant, formerly โคhelmedโฃ by Michelin-starred chef โฃBenjamin Laborie, is navigating a periodโฃ of change following his departure in August 2024. Theโ restaurant’s star has been suspended as a result. Laborie’s exit stemmed from what he described as “very elaborate relational” issues โwith his buisnessโ partner, Daniel Cauwel.According โคto Cauwel,Laborie communicated his decision toโข leave โvia message,citing the pressure of maintaining the restaurant’s high standards. “Last August,Benjamin sent meโ a message to tell meโ that he stopped everything,” Cauwel toldโฃ DH. “Theโฃ pressure became arduous to manage. I wanted โhim โto go get a second star,he clearly had theโ talent.โค But he had lostโฃ fire. Perhaps weakened โby โa personal dramaโฆ”
Laborie, though, โoffered a more direct explanation, stating,โ “Thereโค isโข a way of talking toโข people.” He appearedโ visibly affected byโ the situation but remainsโ confident in the restaurant’s potential.
The restaurant is nowโค undergoing rebranding, including a domain name change and the removal of Laborie’s name โคfrom the facade.โฃ Cauwelโข emphasized the priority of retaining the โrestaurant’s thirteen-person team. โข
Jacques Gogolewski, Laborie’s loyal second โฃfor six โyears, hasโฃ stepped โin as chef. He willโ launch his โคsecond fully personal menu on September 8, with plans for monthly renewals. Johan Quirin, a former pastry chef at Bozar Restaurant, has joined Gogolewski’s team.
Laborie is โcurrently developingโข a new,undisclosed โขproject.