8 Surprising Facts About the Michelin Man

"Opened in 1986, Bibendum Restaurant and Oyster Bar in London's Fulham neighborhood is a joint project by prominent British restaurateurs Sir Terence Conran and Lord Paul Hamlyn. The two men acquired the unit within the Michelin House, a specially commissioned art deco building that served as MICHELIN’s headquarters from 1911 until the company relocated in 1985. The front of the building was originally a tire-fitting bay for passing motorists, and restaurant diners today are still greeted by mosaic floor tiles showing Bibendum holding a goblet of nuts, bolts and other hazards, as well as a dramatic backdrop of stained glass windows portraying him as a kickboxer and a cigar-puffing cyclist. Unsurprisingly, the restaurant now renamed Claude Bosi at Bibendum is listed in the MICHELIN Guide UK's 2021 edition with 2 MICHELIN Stars." - The MICHELIN Guide