Michel Gerard is the grumpy french, concierge at the Indepence Inn and the eventually the Dragon Fly. He is essentially Lorelai and Sookie's business partner. He is obsessed with all things fitness. He does not eat junk food, whole milk, pasta, etc...
Michel spent his childhood and teenage years in France. There, he was spoiled with culture, art, and everything that is fine in life. Michel lived with his mother (there is no indication during the series that Michel knew his father or had a father figure in his life).
Michel is not one to have a lot of patience with people. He can get very irritated by the littlest mistake. He is also very grumpy. Michel does have his moments. After Lorelai gets word that her grandmother died, Michel offers her a hug.
Since Michel grew up with the finer things in life, he and Emily Gilmore get along very well. Emily also finds Michel to be very charming. Michel also has a great relationship with his mother. When she comes to visit, they immediately start spending every second together. She is shocked when she learns that Michel does not eat carbs. This kind of sets a rift in their relationship. They go from being friends to son and mother.
When Lorelai and Sookie decided to buy and open the Dragon Fly, Michel is on board. During the months that the Dragon Fly is in production, Michel gets a job at a high-end hotel. There, celebrities like Janet Jackson stay. When Lorelai and Snookie meet up with him there, he is not sure that he wants to go with them. Lorelai and Sookie get very upset, but they convince him to stay on board. Although he is not an official partner, Lorelai and Sookie do include him in most of the decision making.