Iconic Quebec City poutine chain changes hands after 54 years

A decade ago, Émily Adam and Jean-Christophe Lirette wrote a business plan for a fast-food chain as part of a university project. Today, the couple in their early thirties are the proud new owners of the Quebec City poutine institution Chez Ashton.

"We're super happy, we're fulfilling one of our dreams," Adam told CBC.

The two entrepreneurs are originally from the Portneuf region, about 60 kilometres south of Quebec City. That's where they first got into the restaurant business, purchasing a snack bar called Ti-Oui that's still run by Lirette's family.

Adam and Lirette moved to the provincial capital after buying three Harvey's franchises but they always had their sights set on running a made-in-Quebec chain like Chez Ashton.

Talks with founder Ashton Leblond started three years ago. Adam says she and her partner have put in a lot of work behind the scenes, dealing with the challenges of the restaurant industry, riding out the pandemic and showing Leblond they were the right people to take over his business.

"We started with a casse-croûte 10 years ago," she said. "It's not something that happened overnight."

Ashton Leblond opened the first of 23 Chez Ashton restaurants over 50 years ago, getting his start in the Quebec City suburb of L'Ancienne-Lorette in 1969. When word got out that he was ready to move on, several fast food chains offered to buy him out — but he wanted the business to keep its local ties.

"I'm proud to pass the torch to Émily and Jean-Christophe," he wrote in a news release.

"They're from the region, they're young and they have the necessary experience. But most importantly, we have the same values … people from here who have the business and the vitality of the region at heart."

Lirette wants to reassure people in the Quebec City area who count on Chez Ashton for a quick lunch or late-night poutine fix. He says fresh, local ingredients are at the heart of the couple's business model — and they won't be changing the gravy recipe.

Chez Ashton's 650 employees don't need to worry about their jobs either. As part of the agreement to buy the franchise, all staff members are being retained and the restaurant's head office will stay in Quebec City.

Adam and Lirette are still processing the fact their dream has come to fruition. They say they'll take a few months to get to know everyone who's on the Chez Ashton team and familiarize themselves with the business before making any changes. 

Once they're settled in, they plan to modernize the equipment at a few locations and streamline the customer service experience while keeping the restaurants' vintage look.

"The goal is to bring in a breath of fresh air without completely changing the brand," said Lirette.