Chef Francis Pascal, originally from France, made his way to the U.S. in 1989.

With his French training and experience in both France and Italy, he was approached by a restaurant owner in Monte Carlo (French Riviera) who owned a sister restaurant called Monte Carlo Living Room in Philadelphia. This opportunity led him to the U.S. in 1989, where he worked as a sous chef under executive chef Nunzio Patruno. Monte Carlo Living Room later opened a second location on Second and South Street in Philadelphia, named Primavera, where he served as the chef for three years before deciding to establish his own restaurant, Tartufo, in Bala Cynwyd, Philadelphia. While the restaurant found success, it didn’t fully align with Francis’s vision.

He then transitioned to working alongside Jean Francois Taquet at Taquet restaurant as a sous chef, before moving to Haverford to work at Quisset Restaurant, which was later renamed Provence.

Chef Francis eventually opened The Birchrunville Store Café in 1999. This establishment has since grown into a well-known French- Italian fusion BYOB restaurant.

In 2017, Francis and his wife Nui transformed the building next to the Café into a delightful pastry shop. This charming spot offers delectable food, pastries, and coffee, providing a cozy place to appreciate the beauty of Birchrunville.