A day in the life of Simon Auscher

It’s somewhere between the lunchtime and evening opening hours for his restaurants, and instead of taking a well-deserved nap, Simon Auscher welcomes us to his Parisian flat in the Bastille area to tell us about his background, his (very) busy days, and his career as an underwear model in Hong Kong.

Hello Simon, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Simon Auscher, I’m 31, and I’m the owner of two restaurants in Paris’ 11th arrondissement (called “Tannat” and “Anna”). As far as my personal life is concerned, I’m happily married and father to Maya, our one-year old daughter.

What’s it like, owning two restaurants?

I’d always dreamed of having my own restaurant. I even asked for a restaurant as my birthday gift when I was 12! My mother is from Cameroon, and food has always played a central role in our family’s life! She shared her love for cooking with me, and it’s something I’ve always enjoyed. I co-founded Tannat with Ariane Stern, in 2015, and we opened Anna in early 2018. We’ve been hard at work, especially considering Ariane somehow found the time to have two kids, and I’ve become a father too!

What did you do before opening your first restaurant?

I went to the Strasbourg hospitality school, after which I worked at Thoumieux for renowned French Jean-François Piège. It was an amazing experience, and the ideal introduction to customer relations. In 2010, I took part in the opening of the Shangri-La hotel before leaving for Hong Kong. Upon my return to Paris, I joined the team managing the Richer and 52 restaurants. It opened my eyes to the world of bistros and a form of gastronomy which is completely different to what I’d previously experienced in fine cuisine environments.

How much time did you spend in Hong Kong ?

Just over a year, but it was quite a busy one: I managed a French restaurant, while also giving tennis lessons and working as a fit model for Tommy Hilfiger Underwear!

As an entrepreneur, I’m guessing your working hours are long and your days pretty intense…

You guessed right! I try to make it to the restaurants between 9am and 10:30am to handle our orders, go through my emails, talk to the teams, etc. I rarely ever make it home before midnight or 1am. I have to drink 15 espressos to make it through the day! I spend a lot of time in front, with the customers and the waiting staff, I love it. I really couldn’t imagine being the type of boss who stays behind his computer all day. Both our restaurants are open for lunch and dinner, and when I work full days, I have to take a break in the afternoon. I take a quick nap, more often than not, on the spot.

With days like that, how do you manage to switch off when you get back home?

It’s not easy. I’ll often watch a film before going to bed. I’ve always been a night owl, but I’m now also an early bird, as my daughter wakes me up at 8 in the morning at the latest!

Do you feel at home in your flat?

I do, yes, very much so! We have a big kitchen, where I spend a lot of time, a bunch of furniture and objects we picked up left and right, some traces of my Cameroonian roots, and a lot of kids’ toys! We’ve lived here for six years, but we’re unfortunately going to have to move soon as our daughter is growing, and we’ll soon be out of space!

What do you do on your weekends off?

We try to get out of Paris as often as possible. I’m fortunate enough to have a family home on the Opal Coast in northern France, not too far from Pont Lévêque. Going there really helps me switch off and take a break from work. I cook, I go for runs, I play some tennis, etc. I stay busy, but the pace is much more leisurely!

Any favourite restaurants?

In Paris, I have a soft spot for Semilla, which is in the 6th arrondissement. The food is amazing and I have many fond memories of the restaurant, including the time I proposed to my wife! When we’re in Normandy for the weekend we’ll go to one of the area’s staples: Les Vapeurs restaurant in Trouville.

Do you find time to exercise or play sports?

I’ve played tennis since I was a child. I stopped when we opened the restaurants, for lack of time, but I got back into it last year. I’m already starting to play well again, which is pretty rewarding! I also have a push-up and core workout routine which I put myself through two to three times a week, at home. It really helps me feel healthy and sleep better.

Any other secrets to staying in shape?

I don’t really have any dietary restrictions as I naturally tend to eat quite healthy and as much vegetable as I can. When I get the urge to eat something, I’ll always choose a nice cut of meat over a dessert. I also walk a lot when I’m working – 8,000 to 12,000 steps every day.

How would you describe your clothing style?

Basic! My go-to uniform is a white T-shirt, a pair of APC raw denim jeans, and Common Projects sneakers.

Do your packed days leave you with enough time to take care of yourself?

I would say so! Lately, I’ve started using a traditional razor again, with the Horace shave cream. There’s something special about the entire shaving routine, and my skin looks perfect afterwards. On weekends, I sometimes even use a badger brush. When I’m showering, I wash with a bar of Aleppo soap and the Horace shampoo. I’ve caught my wife using it on several occasions, she’s says it’s because it smells so good! As I mentioned before, we make sure to keep our diet as healthy as possible, so it only makes sense for us to use healthy grooming and cosmetic products too. A friend told me about Horace, and I really liked the brand’s image. A quick look at the quality of the ingredients used in each product was enough to entirely win me over! We’re a big coconut oil family. I use it to moisturise my face and body, as after-sun care, and for Maya’s skin, it’s amazing! On weekends, I exfoliate with the Horace face scrub, while I shower.

What about your hair, how do you take care of it?

I had an afro as a teenager. These days, I go to the hairdresser’s every three or four weeks. I go to this place called Living Room, which is just next door to our flat. When my hair gets too long, I tame its unruliness with the Horace cream pomade. It’s not greasy at all, and I love the matte finish.

Do you wear perfume?

No, and I never have. It’s not a habit I got into. Working in the food service industry makes it a bit complicated, you don’t want to put customers off their food with a perfume that might be too strong.

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