Peoples Choice Award Winner 2008

Born in France, Vincent Francoual developed a passion for cooking traditional French dishes. He moved to Minneapolis and became an executive chef where he was able to continue gaining new experiences in the culinary world. In August 2001, Vincent - A Restaurant opened its doors to the public. Francoual has donated food, money, and a lot of physical energy to help Fraser, a local nonprofit serving children and adults with special needs. In 2002, Fraser approached Francoual about donating a dinner at his restaurant for an auction. He agreed, donating a meal that raised $1,600.

A few months later, Francoual contacted Fraser with a new idea: donating money he raised in support of his first-ever triathlon. He raised more than $4,470 in pledges and helped raise awareness for Fraser. This past year was his fifth year competing in the LifeTime Fitness Triathlon, and with his team, he raised more than $30,000 for Fraser, bringing the total he has raised through triathlons to more than $52,000.

Francoual continues to donate gourmet meals to help raise money for Fraser and encourages people, including other local chefs, involved in the cause.