Cleveland is one of six cities included in the new highlighting restaurants in the Great Lakes region.
The guide's American Great Lakes Edition, which will be announced in 2027, will also include Milwaukee, Detroit, Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.
The six cities were engaged in talks for almost two years, spurred by Claude Molinari, Visit Detroit's CEO, according to Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee.
Locally, inspectors will mainly focus on Cuyahoga County, but Destination Cleveland has recommended the surrounding areas for possible Michelin restaurant consideration, said David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland.
At the announcement livestream in Milwaukee, Wis., Emily Lauer, vice president of PR and communications at Destination Cleveland, said the new guide would boost Cleveland鈥檚 restaurant scene and draw new visitors.
鈥淧eople are traveling to Cleveland already to eat,鈥� Lauer said. 鈥淭his announcement gives more people a reason to look our way and gives our chefs and restaurants the spotlight they've earned.鈥�
Inspectors are already 鈥渙n the ground鈥� in Cleveland and the other five cities, gauging restaurants for the Michelin Guide, said Gwendal Poullennec, the Michelin Guide鈥檚 international director, in Wednesday's livestream.
While there's no guarantee Cleveland restaurants will be selected for the Midwest guide, the inclusion is important to those in the local culinary community, said Douglas Katz, chef and partner of Edgewater Hospitality, which runs several restaurants in Cleveland.
鈥淚 think we're all just proud at this announcement, but we love what we have created as far as food and culture in our city," Katz said.
The guide, he added, would be another achievement on the list of highlights that make Cleveland a notable worldwide destination.
"We're already known for our orchestra and our amazing museums and our historic city,鈥� Katz said. 鈥淲e also have a lot of industry that was created. We were one of the largest cities at the turn of the century. So, for the Michelin Guide to come to Cleveland and to share what we have as far as the dining culture as well, it fits with everything else that we have in Cleveland.鈥�
The 's inception dates back to 1889 France, when brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin founded their now-famous tire company. They created a guide as a travel tool for motorists, hoping it would enhance their trips and in turn, boost their sales. In 1926, the guide began awarding stars to fine dining establishments. The guide now rates more than 30,000 eateries across three continents.
