I think it basically came down to this. If you can convince people to go to a restaurant that needs a bit of a road trip, you will sell more tyres. And if you did need new tyres, the guide conveniently pointed you to garages that, surprise, sold Michelin.

Tourism was growing quickly at the time, so the guide focused on the popular destinations of the era. France of course but also places like Switzerland and Spain. Being based in France and tied to the car industry, Michelin rode the growth of both car travel and French dining culture.

French cuisine was already becoming dominant by the early twentieth century, and after the war you had top French chefs getting hired by major restaurants in places like New York. Le Cordon Bleu started around the same time in the late nineteenth century and benefitted from the rise of French fine dining, though it was not created by Michelin.

By the nineteen twenties the restaurant section of the guide was already important, and in the nineteen thirties they introduced the three-star system. Once there was a clear hierarchy, chefs began competing for stars, and the Michelin rating became the recognised standard for fine dining.