Michelin Guides are a series of guide books published by the French company Michelin for more than a century.
Its history dates back to 1900 when tyre manufacturers André Michelin and his brother Édouard published the first edition of a guide for French motorists. At the time there were fewer than 3,000 cars in France, and the Michelin guide was intended to boost the demand for cars, and thus for car tyres. It was given away free of charge, and contained useful information for motorists, including maps, instructions for repairing and changing tyres, and lists of car mechanics, hotels and petrol stations.
In 1954 they made several changes, the notable ones being: listing restaurants by specific categories; hotel listings (initially only for Paris); and the abandonment of advertisements in the guide. Recognizing the growing popularity of the restaurant section of the guide, the brothers recruited a team of inspectors, who were always careful in maintaining anonymity, to visit and review restaurants
In 1926, the guide began to award stars for fine dining establishments. Initially, there was only a single star awarded. Then, in 1931, the hierarchy of one, two, and three stars was introduced. Finally, In 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide
