Warren Thompson, president of Thompson Restaurant Group and a longtime diner at L'Auberge Chez François, will take over as steward of the Great Falls French restaurant starting in September.

The transition ends 72 years of Haeringer family leadership at the restaurant, which François "Papa" Haeringer founded as Chez François in Washington, D.C., in 1954. Patch first reported the change on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Executive Chef Jacques Haeringer, the founder's son, stays on. The restaurant said its Alsatian menu, staff and dining experience will remain largely unchanged.

"Places like this are rare. They become part of how a community remembers itself," Thompson said in the announcement. "My role now is simple, to help make sure it's here, in the same spirit, for decades to come."

The restaurant sits on six acres at 332 Springvale Road. François Haeringer moved it there from D.C. in 1976 after the Claridge Hotel, which housed the original Chez François, was sold to make way for an office building. He designed the Great Falls location to evoke the auberges, or country inns, of his native Alsace, France. The dining rooms still hold Haeringer family heirlooms and murals depicting scenes from Obernai, the founder's birthplace, according to the restaurant's history page.

Thompson's stewardship also covers Jacques' Brasserie, the sister restaurant at the same address, The Burn reported.

Jacques Haeringer said Thompson's years as a regular guest informed his decision. He called Thompson someone who "understands what makes it special as well as anyone," adding that familiarity is "exactly why I trust him with its future."

Thompson founded Thompson Restaurant Group in 1992. The company operates more than 70 locations across Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Ohio and South Florida under brands including Matchbox, Big Buns, Makers Union and Hen Quarter. It already runs Big Buns and Matchbox locations in McLean.

Thompson Restaurant Group is a division of Thompson Hospitality, which reported more than $1 billion in revenue and 6,000 employees as of a December 2025 Ashburn Magazine profile. A March 2026 company press release said the restaurant division posted a 12% revenue increase in 2025 and aims to reach 100 locations by the end of 2027.

The precise legal structure of the deal has not been disclosed. Both Patch and The Burn described Thompson's role as "steward" rather than owner, and no purchase price or partnership terms appeared in any public announcement.

No specific date beyond September has been announced for the transition.