Swiss Chalet

Last updated
Swiss Chalet
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Food service
Founded1954;70 years ago (1954)
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Key people
Rick Mauran, Todd Barclay, Edgar Alvarez, Steven Greene, Michael Farley, Abhik Banerji
Products Rotisserie chicken
Canadian cuisine
Parent Recipe Unlimited
Website swisschalet.com

Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants [1] founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [2] Swiss Chalet has locations in most Canadian provinces, but about 80% are in Ontario and there are currently none in Quebec or British Columbia. [3] Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Recipe Unlimited, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. [4] Swiss Chalet and Harvey's franchises share many locations. [5]

Contents

Swiss Chalet franchises include a variety of points of sale. The company's locations generally have an architectural alpine theme, a dining room, a take-out counter, and delivery. [6] Some feature drive-thru windows while other locations in certain urban areas are only take-out counters and are more akin to fast food restaurants. The brand also has an online food ordering system. [7] Recipe Unlimited retails signature Swiss Chalet sauce, [8] gravy, and marinades (as powdered mixes) in Canadian supermarkets.

History

The first Swiss Chalet restaurant, at 234 Bloor Street West in Toronto, operated for 52 years. It was founded by Rick Mauran, son of Maurice Mauran the founder of the still-extant Chalet BBQ of Montreal. [9] The building featured exposed-beam ceilings in the Swiss chalet style. This store closed in 2006 and was demolished in 2009 as part of a condominium development.

In the early 2000s, Cara Operations closed all of its Quebec and US-based restaurants.

The company returned to Saskatchewan with a location in south Regina, although this location no longer shows on its website. In 2008, Air Canada added Swiss Chalet food products to its buy-on-board menu. [10]

In 2010, two of the three remaining Swiss Chalet restaurants in the United States closed. They were located in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York. [11] On June 1, 2011, the only company restaurant operating in Puerto Rico closed. [12]

The company began a partnership with the Scene+ loyalty program in February 2015. [13]

On March 31, 2016, the company's parent, Cara Operations, announced that it would acquire St-Hubert, a Quebec-based chain of rotisserie chicken restaurants, in the summer of 2016 for CAD$537 million. [14] [15] [16]

Fare

Take-out version of the Half Chicken Dinner Swiss Chalet quarter chicken.jpg
Take-out version of the Half Chicken Dinner

Restaurant fare is based upon its signature item, rotisserie chicken. [2] [17] The Quarter Chicken Dinner, the restaurant's signature dish, includes a roasted chicken leg or breast with "Chalet Sauce", a bread roll and a side dish. [18] Swiss Chalet's most popular side dish is Chalet fries. Chalet fries were changed in 2015 and again in 2020, to mixed reviews.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poutine</span> Dish of french fries, cheese curds and gravy

Poutine is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding its invention. For many years, it was used by some to mock Quebec society. Poutine later became celebrated as a symbol of Québécois culture and the province of Quebec. It has long been associated with Quebec cuisine, and its rise in prominence has led to its growing popularity throughout the rest of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Keg</span> Canadian steakhouse restaurant chain

The Keg is a Canadian-owned chain of steakhouse restaurants and bars in Canada and the United States. The original "The Keg and Cleaver" restaurant was founded in 1971 by George Tidball in North Vancouver, British Columbia. By February 2018, The Keg had expanded to 160 locations in Canada and the United States, when Canadian food industry giant Cara Operations purchased the chain for $200 million, from then owners David Aisenstat (49%) and Fairfax Financial (51%). Aisenstat was the sole owner from 1997 until 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recipe Unlimited</span> Restaurant chain operator in Canada

Recipe Unlimited Corporation is a Canadian company that operates several restaurant chains such as Swiss Chalet, Harvey's and The Keg, and food distribution for large operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roast chicken</span> Dish of whole chicken broiled or fried on all sides to cook it through

Roast chicken is chicken prepared as food by roasting whether in a home kitchen, over a fire, or with a rotisserie. Generally, the chicken is roasted with its own fat and juices by circulating the meat during roasting, and therefore, are usually cooked exposed to fire or heat with some type of rotary grill so that the circulation of these fats and juices is as efficient as possible. Roast chicken is a dish that appears in a wide variety of cuisines worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St-Hubert</span> Canadian restaurant chain

St-Hubert BBQ Ltd is a chain of Canadian casual dining restaurants best known for its rotisserie chicken. St-Hubert is most popular in Quebec, and in other French-Canadian areas such as Eastern Ontario and New Brunswick. St-Hubert is the 16th largest restaurant chain operating in Canada. The chain enjoys the highest customer loyalty of any restaurant in Canada, aside from Tim Hortons, according to industry analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey's</span> Canadian fast food hamburger restaurant chain

Harvey's is a fast food restaurant chain operating in Canada, with locations in every province except British Columbia. It serves hamburgers, poutine, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional Canadian fast-food fare. The chain is owned by Recipe Unlimited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Fries</span> Canadian fast-food restaurant chain

New York Fries is a Canadian quick service restaurant that mainly serves french fries, hot dogs and poutine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Chinese cuisine</span> Chinese cuisine developed by Chinese Canadians

Canadian Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Canadians. It was the first form of commercially available Chinese food in Canada. This cooking style was invented by early Cantonese immigrants who adapted traditional Chinese recipes to Western tastes and the available ingredients, and developed in a similar process to American Chinese cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W (Canada)</span> Canadian fast food restaurant chain

A&W is a fast-food restaurant chain in Canada, franchised by A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milestones Grill and Bar</span> Canadian restaurant chain

Milestones Restaurants Inc. is a restaurant chain owned by Foodtastic. There are currently over 40 locations across British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken sandwich</span> Type of sandwich

A chicken sandwich is a sandwich that typically consists of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, served between slices of bread, on a bun, or on a roll. Variations on the "chicken sandwich" include the chicken burger, chicken on a bun, chicken on a Kaiser, hot chicken, or chicken salad sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huli-huli chicken</span> Hawaiian chicken dish

Huli-huli chicken is a grilled chicken dish in Hawaiian cuisine, prepared by barbecuing a chicken over mesquite wood, and basting it with a sweet huli-huli sauce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollo a la brasa</span> Chicken dish

Pollo a la brasa, pollo asado, blackened chicken, or charcoal chicken is a variety of rotisserie chicken especially associated with the cuisine of Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbecue chicken</span> Chicken that is barbecued, grilled or smoked

Barbecue chicken consists of chicken parts or entire chickens that are barbecued, grilled or smoked. There are many global and regional preparation techniques and cooking styles. Barbecue chicken is often seasoned or coated in a spice rub, barbecue sauce, or both. Marinades are also used to tenderize the meat and add flavor. Rotisserie chicken has gained prominence and popularity in U.S. grocery markets. Barbecued chicken is one of the world's most popular barbecue dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot chicken</span> Chicken dish from Nashville, Tennessee, US

Hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. In its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried and finally covered in a paste or sauce that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. This method of preparation originates within African American communities in the Southern United States. A richly pigmented seasoning paste gives the fried chicken its reddish hue. Spice blends, preparation methods and heat intensity vary from recipe to recipe or depending on the chef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotisserie chicken</span> Chicken dish

Rotisserie chicken is a chicken dish that is cooked on a rotisserie by using direct heat in which the chicken is placed next to the heat source.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza in Canada</span> Pizza variants from Canada

Canada has many of its own pizza chains, both national and regional, and many distinctive regional variations and types of pizza resulting from influences of local Canadian cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave's Hot Chicken</span> Nashville-style fried chicken restaurant chain

Dave's Hot Chicken is an American fast casual restaurant chain specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken.

References

  1. Royle, T.; Towers, B. (2004). Labour Relations in the Global Fast-Food Industry. Taylor & Francis. p. 40. ISBN   978-1-134-59762-8 . Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Giorno, Frank (2016-12-22). "2017 brings two favourites Harvey's and Swiss Chalet to Timmins' dining menu". Timmins Today. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  3. "All Swiss Chalet Locations in Canada | Swiss Chalet | Swiss Chalet Restaurant | Restaurant | Rotisserie Chicken | Chicken | Delivery | Food Delivery | Takeout".
  4. The Financial Post Survey of Industrials. Maclean-Hunter. 1991. pp. 169–171. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  5. David Paddon (2016-03-31). "In rotisserie chicken marriage, owner of Swiss Chalet buys St-Hubert for $537M". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  6. Relph, E. (2015). Rational Landscapes and Humanistic Geography. Routledge Revivals. Taylor & Francis. p. 78. ISBN   978-1-317-37366-7 . Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  7. "Cara Reports Q3 2017 Results". Business Insider. November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  8. Lau, Andree (February 23, 2017). "Swiss People Try Swiss Chalet Sauce, Insult Canada In A Neutral Way". HuffPost Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  9. Harris, Stefany (May 14, 2019). ""Genius" author holding book signing". The Oshawa Express. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  10. "Onboard Café" (PDF). Air Canada . Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  11. "Swiss Chalet lovers trek over the border to get their fix". The Buffalo News . 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  12. "A la quiebra Swiss Chalet". El Nuevo Día. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2017-11-05 via Elnuevodia.com.
  13. Chung, Matthew (2015-02-17). "Cara adds Scene loyalty to its menu". Media in Canada. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  14. "Swiss Chalet owner's purchase of St-Hubert chicken chain riles Quebecers". CBC News. March 31, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  15. Paddon, David (2016-03-31). "In rotisserie chicken marriage, owner of Swiss Chalet buys St-Hubert for $537M". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  16. "Cara announces purchase of St-Hubert". investorroom.com. March 31, 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  17. Patel, Arti (April 15, 2015). "What Dietitians Would Eat At Swiss Chalet". HuffPost Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  18. Sturgeon, Jamie (February 3, 2016). "Chicken dinner demand softening at Swiss Chalet thanks to oil slump. Really". Global News. Retrieved November 5, 2017.