La Provence's new look, price, and world cuisine coming soon

Newly laid brown, green and white tiles cover the bar top and line parts of the freshly painted green walls. Twenty years of use faded the wood floor that sits dusty from tile-work and waits for a new coat of dark stain.

It’s all part of the new face of La Provence. Since the restaurant closed for remodeling two weeks ago, owners Marc and Caroline Guizol have painted, sanded, cut table tops and laid tile. By mid-April, when the Guizols are done, their 12-year-old restaurant will no longer be French. Its cuisine will be replaced with more worldly flavors.

In fact, it will no longer be La Provence. They are calling it Mosaic

“We want to be able to do any kind of food we want,” Marc Guizol said. “To be able to do it a little bit more affordable and have a little bit more fun with it.”

Cuban, Thai, and Spanish-influenced dishes will tile the menu as the different-colored ceramic tiles do the restaurant. Entrees will be priced from $12-20 rather than $20-30.

The makeover comes at the tail-end of other renovations that have graced downtown Bigfork’s streets over the last few years. The most recent downtown fix-ups were the Bigfork Inn’s interior remodel in January and the Garden Bar’s new floors at the beginning of March.

“It’s good for the whole town,” Guizol said. “Everybody is making a lot of effort to pull people in from other places.”

When La Provence first opened, they would serve 120-140 dinners a night. But as the economy tanked, business slowed.

“That was a different time,” he said. “Overall, you can tell the economy is changing people’s choices.”

Lots of people can no longer afford to have a $30 meal. It’s up to restaurants like Guizol’s to change the product they serve so it caters to what the potential customer base wants.

Part of what Guizol thinks his potential customer base wants is another bar and lounge to relax in.

They are extending their old bar into a more lounge-like area with appetizers, wine and local micro-brews from Polson to Woods Bay and Lakeside.

Mosaic’s first big event is the “It’s Time to Chime In” fundraiser on April 28 that will help raise money for construction of the downtown clock tower. Guizol said they also host a couple of big events in May and are looking forward to a good summer season of business.

“We wait for the sunshine, put all the tables outside and hope for a big one,” he said.