A story of affection, neighbors, household and fries: It’s an analogous story at Les Eating places Lafleur, a Montreal fast-food model that has extra historical past than McDonald’s.
For younger individuals, Lafleur is related to Lucie, a 63-year-old tremendous cashier who’s adopted by some tens of hundreds of subscribers on TikTok: she dares to eat Putin with pickles and she or he makes humorous movies.
However behind the image is a Greek-Quebecan household who, from Petit Québec to Belle Province, have been concerned in quick meals since childhood.
Brothers George and John Papagiannis took over from their father final 12 months. George is accountable and his spouse Alexandra Tsotsis accompanies him particularly in advertising and marketing.
“We have now all the time been within the catering trade since we had been younger. We had been neighbors, we lived on the identical road in Brossard, our mother and father had eating places and once I met George I used to be 12 and he was 16. I solely had one eyebrow and hair below my arms. He had a automobile and a girlfriend,” Alexandra remembers humorously.
When she turned 18, they met at an occasion and it clicked: they’ve been collectively for twenty years and have three kids.
- Take heed to the enterprise interview with Alexandra Tsotsis, Head of Advertising at Lafleur Eating places QUB radio:
Go on with the household
“And we all the time wished to do one thing larger than what our mother and father might construct,” says Alexandra of the 16 eating places.
“The dream is that we wish to double the variety of branches within the subsequent few years. And the largest dream is to achieve at the least 50 shops!” throws George.
His father emigrated from Greece in 1974 and two years later he opened a restaurant in La Belle province. When he arrived he couldn’t converse a phrase of French. He realized from individuals.
As a toddler, George all the time wished to observe his father with admiration when he opened a brand new restaurant.
“For a very long time, my father labored 80 to 100 hours every week to attain his success. We noticed him lower than the opposite younger individuals noticed their father, however he labored arduous to construct one thing. And later in life we made up for misplaced time,” says the entrepreneur, who nonetheless works together with his father Achilles immediately.
From him he realized devotion to the client, the will to constantly fulfill him.
“For those who don’t have that in you, you don’t have a restaurant enterprise,” he believes.
Martin Alarie / Le Journal de Montreal
youth remedy
In July, Les Eating places Lafleur reopened its iconic location on Montreal’s Côte-de-Liesse after a serious makeover and rebranding. The outdated counter has been changed by a vibrant eating room with 70 seats. A number of of the opposite eating places will likely be utterly renovated within the coming months and new ones will open their doorways: Magog in autumn, Longueuil and Laval in 2024. The Papagiannis wish to develop the presence of the model, born on rue Lafleur in Lasalle, in 1951.
“It’s a Quebec flagship that must be accessible to everybody. The model has a protracted historical past and it will give me nice pleasure to push it so far as potential,” says George.
What does he significantly like in regards to the journey of restoration? Create stunning reminiscences. For his household, for his clients, for his workers.
So long as you make a protracted story and have enjoyable…
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