Love, pride, and worldly flair—those are qualities that define both the Buschtetz as a family, as well as their recipe for success running a group of eateries in the East Valley.
The matriarch of the family, Máiréad Buschtetz, was born and raised in Mitchelstown, a small town in County Cork, Ireland. Always a free-spirited dreamer, the young Máiréad made a promise to herself to leave small-town life and seek freedom and adventure abroad. She graduated from school at 17 years old, and the next day she was headed for a new life in France. It was in Paris where she eventually met Fabrice Buschtetz, her future husband, travel companion, and business partner.
The pair met in 1988, and that same year they opened an inn in a quaint village north of Paris. They also expanded their family, having three children—Steven, Killian, and Laura. They've traveled the world together, and have lived in several different countries, including France, Belgium, and Mexico.
“I believe the more countries you visit, the more languages you can speak, will open you up to the world and there are so many good things and good people in this world,” says Buschtetz.
In 2013 the family made the decision to move to the United States.
“We saw America as the land of opportunity,” says Buschtetz. “In America, hard work pays off, hard work makes progress, and that isn't the case anymore in France.”
Originally the family planned to move to Miami.
“We had vacationed in Florida many times and we loved it,” says Buschtetz. “But that wasn't meant to be.”
The family home and business in Europe were slow to sell, making the move impossible. The more they thought about it, the more Florida didn't seem like the right place for them. An internet search when they searched for “the nicest places to live in America” led them to Arizona.
Once the decision was made for Arizona to be their final destination, things fell more quickly into place.
“Fabrice and I flew into Las Vegas and then drove to visit Phoenix. It just felt right,” she says. "Our restaurant sold quickly after and gave us the freedom to make the move. It was meant to be.”
They arrived in 2013, and in March 2015, they opened Cuisine & Wine Bistro in Gilbert. They closed it during the Covid-19 pandemic and re-opened it as B Gastrobar, with a new menu.
In 2016, the Buschtetz's opened the second location of Cuisine & Wine Bistro on Alma School and Chandler Heights. The restaurant serves French cuisine and has an extensive wine selection.
The family prides all of their restaurants on excellent service and top-quality ingredients.
“Nothing we serve comes from a tin,” says Buschtetz. “We don't open packages—everything is fresh, hand-cut, and homemade.”
They believe that is what has helped them gain a loyal following of regular customers.
Their third eatery, Copper & Logs opened in February 2020. The family-friendly, neighborhood craft kitchen was forced to shut down its dining room due to the Covid-19 pandemic one month later. They went from a full staff to a skeleton crew to run take-out-only service.
“These are tough times,” says Buschtetz. “It's now very hard to hire and keep great staff.”
That's especially the case for the Buschtetz's latest dining concept, Frenchie Pizza, a fast-casual, custom pizza kitchen that opened in July 2021.
“We opened Frenchie during the pandemic, so it's been hard,” says Buschtetz. “We're hoping to see a change soon, and we're hanging in there.”
Through the tough times, Buschtetz and her family have persevered by continuing to provide top-quality, delicious food and excellent service at all the restaurants. And it's all hands on deck for the family. Eldest son Steven runs B Gastrobar and his wife, Clémentine, handles the websites and social media for all concepts; daughter Laura runs Copper & Logs; and son Killian is a sommelier and runs the front of the house with his wife, Monica, at Cuisine & Wine Bistro in Chandler. Fabrice is the executive chef at all the restaurants, and Máiréad herself helps where she is needed.
“If it weren't for our family, I'm not sure where we would be,” says Buschtetz. “We work hard and play hard, and we put everything into our restaurants.”
For more information on the Buschtetz family restaurants visit Cuisine & Wine Bistro, CuisineAndWineBistro.com; B Gastrobar, BGastroBar.com; Copper & Logs, CopperAndLogs.com; Frenchie Pizza, FrenchiePizza.com.