Three penniless Parisians dream of the U.S.: Abdenour has fallen in love with a tourist, Alain ("Mozart") loves jazz, and Karim wants to escape his father. Through trickery, they manage to fly to the United States. Abdenour finds the tourist but that ends quickly. So they head for Bâton Rouge to seek their fortunes. While Mozart pursues a touring jazz singer, the others work at a fast-food restaurant. When immigration arrests Abdenour and Karim and sends them back to Paris, Mozart stays with his lady love. The two in France then hatch a plan to start their own restaurant, a venture that must succeed so that Abdenour can rescue his little brother, Bruno, from foster care.