Michelin Stars and the Museum Café: These Art Institutions Serve Up More Than Culture

The Cleveland Museum of Art has the Provenance Restaurant and Provenance Café. Courtesy Cleveland Museum of Art

Art museums across the country are increasingly integrating high-quality dining experiences—some even Michelin-starred—into their engagement strategies to attract a broader audience, extend visitor stay, and boost revenue. Institutions such as MoMA, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Oakland Museum of California are embracing this shift, viewing food as an essential part of the cultural experience.

At the Oakland Museum, Executive Director Lori Fogarty, a 2016 East Bay alumna of LeaderSpring Center, has led the transformation of their on-site café, recognizing that visitors today have elevated expectations around dining. Fogarty notes that conversations among museum leaders now regularly include thoughtful discussions about restaurants, reflecting the growing importance of culinary offerings in creating vibrant, community-centered museum spaces.

Learn more about OMCA: https://museumca.org/