FRENCH-CANADIAN ROOTS
Clearwater restaurant and motel mogul hails from Quebec
CLEARWATER, FLA.— Michael “Frenchy” Preston is a mogul of sorts here and we can count him as a Canadian. He was born in Grand-Mère, Que., and lived in suburban Quebec City until he was 12 and moved to the U.S. He owns multiple restaurants in Clearwater Beach and Dunedin, a seafood company, motel and gift shop.
How did you wind up here?
I came down in February 1974 to visit with some friends to get out of the winter and decided to stay out of the winter. I figure now I can visit (the winter). I started my first cafe in 1981, so it has been a 35-year story.
Exactly how much do you own?
There are four Frenchy’s in Clearwater Beach (Frenchy’s Original Café, Frenchy’s Saltwater Café, Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill and Frenchy’s South Beach Café), and they’ve all got a little something different. I have a seafood company, the motel (Frenchy’s Oasis Motel) and the store (Off the Hook). A partner and I own the Clear Sky Café. It’s all within a quarter mile or a 15-minute walk. There’s also a Frenchy’s and a Clear Sky in Dunedin.
What’s your signature dish?
The grouper sandwich. It’s a local fish and it’s fresh. It’s very nice, white, flaky meat and it pairs well with anything. I have eight to 10 boats that fish for us. We’re also known for stone crab claws.
You don’t have poutine, but you have garlic crab fries?
We used to have poutine at Frenchy’s Original Café. I guess the garlic crab fries would be a little evolution, but a little better suited to what people come down here for. Sorry to tell you, but it beats out poutine hands down.
I stayed at your motel and loved it.
It was built in 1959 and opened in late ’59 or ’60. We’ve had it now six or seven years. It was really beat up and anybody else would have torn it down, but we renovated. I’d say it’s late ’50s/early ’60s vintage, but it’s been restored.
What’s so great about Clearwater Beach?
We have a beautiful beach. Once you park, you can walk to everything and you don’t have to ever get back in your car.
You haven’t mentioned dolphins?
In Dolphin Tale 2, (actor) Kris Kristofferson give us a shameless plug. He talks about a message “written on a cocktail napkin at Frenchy’s.”