In 1857, Alphonse Fournaise bought land in Chatou to open a boat rental, restaurant, and a small hotel for the new tourist trade.
Closed in 1906, the Maison Fournaise remained abandoned until it was restored in 1990 on the initiative of the town of Chatou, with the assistance of American private funds from the Friends of French Art.
The restaurant was meeting place of financial persons, politicians and painters of nearby places. At that time, impressionist artist liked this restaurant because it was situated close to the river, at this location reflection of sunshine on river's water made it a pleasant site, an open place with natural air.[2]
The restaurant was a favorite of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who painted scenes of the restaurant including Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise or The Rowers' Lunch (1879, Déjeuner chez Fournaise, Déjeuner au Restaurant Fournaise, Le Déjeuner au bord de la rivière, or Déjeuner des Rameurs) and Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881, Le déjeuner des canotiers) as well as several portraits of Fournaise family members and landscapes of the surrounding area.
