Founder of the Restaurant the Lost Kitchen & Author of 'Finding Freedom,' 'The Lost Kitchen Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom'

Erin French Got Right Support When She Was On The Verge Of Suicide - Her Journey From Living In Parent's Cabin Post Divorce To Running Acclaimed Lost Kitchen

French's the Lost Kitchen Receives over 20,000 Postcards a Year, Making it One of the Most Difficult Restaurants to Book across the Nation because of the Lottery System

• By Ashna Tamrakar
• Update : April 12, 2022

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Erin French, the Maine-based self-taught chef, and author, did not have a simple path to victory. As a businesswoman and single parent, the founder of the Lost Kitchen has dealt with heartbreak, drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, and gloom.

Growing up in Maine, French wanted to experience life outside of Freedom, so she came to Boston to pursue medicine at Northeastern University. However, she dropped out of college and returned to her hometown after two years, at the age of 21, when she suddenly fell pregnant with her high school lover. 

"I was really upset with myself and completely ashamed. I thought I was given a chance, and I threw it all away," she said to People in 2021. "My mother was crazy supportive. She told me, 'There will be joy. We're going to find joy in this.'" 

Upon returning to Maine, where she crafted her culinarily skills, she resumed her career in the food industry, throwing secret suppers in her Belfast apartment, where she soon built a loyal following and finally created the first Lost Kitchen location.

In an interview with NBC's Harry Smith, French spoke about her long and uncertain journey from line cook to successful entrepreneur. Talking about her memoir, 'Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch,' she stated she created the book in a broader sense for those like her, unable to see the light through a dark tunnel and may have suicidal ideation.

"I wrote this book for a few reasons," French stated. "One was that I realized that when I was going through these moments, actually, physically going through them, at the end of it I hadn't really taken the time to put it to bed, to be OK with it, to process it, to really look at it and say, 'This shaped you. This made you. And you should be proud of every stumble that you had.'" 

More on Erin French: 

1. Erin French - Husband, Age, Biography & the Lost Kitchen- Biography
2. How Erin French Found Freedom In Love? First Husband Left Her Amidst Addiction Before Online Dating Website Came To Her Rescue
3. A Peek Into Erin French’s Life Feat. Loving Husband, Lifestyle Online Shop, All Women Restaurant, The Online Kitchen’s Exclusive On Set And Recipe Pictures & Passion For Food

French had married a violent, alcoholic boat builder who was almost her father's age. Moreover, the already tumultuous marriage, the breakdown of her marriage, mixed with the stress of running her restaurant, caused her to fall into a profound depression. As a result, French became hooked to the medicines prescribed by her doctor to help her cope.

The very last night of the service, according to French, was a turning point in her life as she and her husband argued violently. Eventually, she ended up in rehabilitation after being on the edge of suicide. "He put me down, made me feel foolish, emotional, young, dumb," French wrote in her memoir.

Her ex-husband sacked the whole Lost Kitchen staff, closed the eatery, and altered door locks while claiming custody of French's only son. In fact, French was convinced she had lost everything.

After spending two weeks in rehab, she returned to her parent's house, all set to restart her life, this time for the better. She relaunched her business by starting a second chain of dinner clubs out of a vintage airstream trailer. She jokingly dubbed it "the divorcemobile" and began what she loved doing, creating special recipes for people and channeling her supper club background.

"Walls had never defined me. It was what I brought to the table that defined me," she said in a 2021 interview with People.

And in a short period, she achieved it all. Just a year later, in 2014, French opened the Lost Kitchen in a refurbished gristmill in the middle of nowhere. She also got the shared custody of Jaim along with her ex-husband.

Also Read: Beau MacMillan - Age, Net Worth, Family, & Biography

Two years into it, French was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Award and hosted renowned celebrities, including Martha Stewart. "Reservations got out of control. We couldn't handle it anymore," she said about the Lost Kitchen. And now, French receives over 20,000 postcards a year, making it one of the most difficult restaurants to book across the nation.

Recently, when the global pandemic threatened to shut down most of the country's firms, French responded by adding an internet business to keep her business going. "I was like, 'You're an old pro at this. You've lost everything before. Let's do it again," French said.

French sponsored drive-through farmers' markets with the support of her all-female crew, many of whom had served at the first Lost Kitchen. This time, she was also backed up by her new husband, media executive Michael Dutton, whom she met on match.com and married in 2018. Dutton is a managing partner and co-founder at 6ccMedia who helped producers relying on restaurant revenue recuperate some of their expenditures. 

French also developed an online gift shop with various Maine-made things by local women. Moreover, The Lost Kitchen, her cookbooks, television show, and memoir have heightened her well-deserved popularity, company, and unique narrative.

Her finest advice to young ladies who want to follow in her footsteps is to gain confidence. "It's about really digging into your gut and getting to know yourself, and it does not come overnight," French said in a 2021 interview with Sarasota Magazine. "Along my path, there were so many people telling me I was wrong and how I should be doing things. Finally, I found the courage to speak up against the naysayers. It's definitely a process—and not an easy one."

Despite her accomplishment, French is adamant about preserving the romance of her little 40-seat fine diner in rural Maine.