Before there was Così, there was Drew Harré. At 17 he left West Auckland, New Zealand in search of the perfect sandwich. He was inspired by a friend who said to him one day “All I ever hear from you is that you can’t find a decent sandwich in Paris. So what are you going to do about it?” And so, the quest for the perfect sandwich began. An amazing bread recipe was the first step. He had been told that behind the Piazza Nervona there was an old bakery where two brothers, Giuseppi and Silvano, were baking their family’s flatbread, just as their father and his father before him had done. Drew became their apprentice, and before long, he became a veritable bread baking virtuoso. It was time to bring the flatbread to the French.

All Drew needed now was a restaurant, a name and, well, some amazing sandwich ideas. Inspired by his travels, he translated his love of food into exotic combinations of fresh ingredients and herbs. And because you can’t make authentic Italian bread without an authentic hearth, he had an Italian craftsman build him one. As for naming his bistro, Drew wanted a two-syllable word that reminded him of opera. Out of respect for his bread’s Italian heritage, he decided to give the restaurant an Italian name. Then it came to him: Così fan Tutte, the opera. He’d call it Così for short. On May 1, 1989, he crossed his fingers and opened the doors of the first Così on rue de Seine. It became a much-loved spot, as it is to this day.

As Così has served millions of guests every year, they continue to look forward to new chapters to add to their lore. And new traditions to celebrate with their guests. They hope the spirit of Drew Harré’s vision and his inspirational influence that brought Così to the U.S. will always be evident in everything they do.