Schenectady cafe owner pens new book with Whitney Houston twist

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The owner of a downtown bistro is set to release a new fiction novel inspired by his life and one of his favorite celebrities, Whitney Houston. If you tumble onto Jay Street and stumble to the kitchen, that’s where you’ll find Marc Renson and his cafe Ambition.

"Those lyrics, 'Pour yourself a cup of ambition,'" Renson sang. "'The tide's gonna turn. It's all gonna roll your way.'"

The words of the Dolly Parton tune "9 to 5" inspired the name of his restaurant 24 years ago.

“You know, Dolly Parton was there from childhood, so I grew up with her," Renson said. "When I started creating what kind of restaurant I wanted, it was from day one I wanted to call it Ambition."

However, his latest venture as a fiction writer has pulled inspiration from a different diva—Whitney Houston.

“She picked me. I did not pick her," Renson said. "That little voice inside of my head said, 'write a book' and use Whitney Houston as a guardian angel."

His new book, "How Will I Know," tells the story of a chef at rock bottom who is guided by the spirit of the singer known as “The Voice." A series of events takes the main character to the Florida Keys, where he finds his purpose thanks to Houston's help.

The book will be released on April 9, and online preorders are available.

Renson told News10's Stephanie Rivas he hopes his book will teach readers that "anything is possible if you believe." He's believed in dreams since he opened Ambition Coffee & Eatery in 2000.

“My husband and I wanted to create an environment that was inclusive of everyone," Renson said. “It doesn’t matter if you are Bradley Cooper or homeless on the street. Everyone is welcome at Ambition."

Whether he's working on his latest boozy muffin recipe or his new book, the Schenectady chef has credited creativity as his secret sauce.

"Because you know what, my personality is I love food, music, and Hollywood. I'm quirky," Renson said. "If you don’t allow the imagination to come through you, you’ll just be living in a cardboard box, very boring and mundane."

Renson will hold a book signing for "How Will I Know at Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady on Sunday, April 14 at 11 a.m.