René

"For now, the young woman and her husband have only one concern: that everything be perfect to welcome the clientele, half tempted, half curious, who are already crowding at the restaurant doors. Inside, it’s all hands on deck. The excitement is so intense you could cut it with a knife. Fortunately, the family has pitched in. René shares the kitchen with his father, his aunt Exélire reigns at the cash register while Hélène and her mother-in-law bustle about the dining room. Before getting started, a thousand and one details must be checked. The owners are nervous. The tension rises, the aroma of roast chicken grows stronger. They open. As if by magic, the stage fright disappears. Customers settle in, the din swells. The kitchen kicks into gear and the procession of dishes begins. A legend is being born quietly, without fanfare, among the clatter of dishes and casual conversations."

"Nevertheless, he has the soul of a go-getter. At the time he meets Hélène, René is playing water polo with Roland. A powerful and aggressive player, he scores goals and quickly becomes the backbone of the team. In this respect, he went to the right school. Three times champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, the young man has been practicing this noble discipline since his early childhood. The experience left an indelible mark on him: a winner’s temperament. When he starts something, he has only one thing in mind: to win. An ability that will prove very useful to him later."

"Pushing the limits of his profession, René loves that, much to the dismay of his colleagues, whom he sometimes amuses himself by teasing, speeding up the pace of the dishes he prepares excessively. For him, work must be a game, an attitude he would later encourage among his employees. But that’s another story… For now, it’s time to leave Murray’s Lunch and give up his magnificent weekly salary of 11 K. The mischievous cook hands in his apron to embark on a more lucrative, more stable career, and one particularly suited to his superb physical condition: firefighter."

"Hélène can be proud of how far she has come. St-Hubert Bar-B-Q has made its mark not only with the public but also among restaurant professionals. Driven by René, the rotisserie kitchen is constantly improving. This is also the result of teamwork. Indeed, René does not hesitate to consider suggestions from his employees… and to implement them when they prove effective. Thus, one day, one of his assistant cooks, Mr. Marcotte, draws his attention to something seemingly trivial. He is tired of buttering his rolls one by one with a brush. The task is tedious and takes too much time. While he is busy with this, he cannot do anything else. As a result, during the rush, he doesn’t know where to turn. To solve the problem, he proposes a curious solution. “What if we cut in half the small table where I butter my bread?” he asks his boss. “In the center, I would install a wringer roller and roll it over the butter. I would then just have to slide the rolls across it.” A week later, Mr. Marcotte’s table is installed. The invention makes everyone happy. Besides making the work easier and speeding up service, this device also allows the bread to be buttered more evenly. Such creativity benefits the customers, the restaurateur couple’s number one priority."

"The very next day, the Léger family puts up for sale the furniture in good condition that they have left and permanently leave the apartment on rue Chambord, which the disaster has rendered uninhabitable. Parents and children move in with the bare minimum of furniture to the tiny dwelling located above the rotisserie. Its cost is already included in the lease. So no more additional rent to pay for a roof! Of course, this is far from living like royalty. The family squeezes into two rooms. The parents sleep in the living room. As for the children’s bedroom, its furnishings are limited to a bunk bed. The rest of the space serves… as a storage room. In any case, Claire and Jean-Pierre hardly have the leisure to complain about it. To avoid another tragedy, Hélène and René decide to send their offspring to boarding school: Claire to the convent of Saint-Lambert, Jean-Pierre to Eulalie-Durocher College. It is the best solution for parents who are very busy trying to bail out their business."

"In 1949, their lives took a turn. As he was about to take the tram to go to work, René was hit head-on by a reckless driver’s car. Violently thrown to the ground, he ended up with a broken arm and nose, as well as a triple fracture in his leg—injuries that would require no fewer than five surgeries. To make matters worse, his bones would not calcify. Confined to bed, in a cast for a year, the father had to say goodbye to his job. It would be another two years before he fully regained the use of his leg. And the severity of his injury would forever prohibit him from working as a firefighter. As for compensation… At the time, unfortunately, there was no group insurance plan to cover such misfortune. However, the city of Montreal agreed to grant the household a lifetime annual pension of $528—a meager $44 per month. A pittance. A true “change of status,” but not in the desired way. With a wife and two children to feed, their former carefree days were gone."

"And then, one fine day, René meets, by chance in his wanderings, a certain Mr. Rivard. A salesman by trade, the man maintains multiple business relationships. Among these is a Belgian-born chemist who has just developed a line of beauty products under the brand Maria Robins. His formulas are excellent and are just waiting to be marketed. The prospect is all the more enticing because the female clientele for cosmetic products is booming in Quebec. The days are gone when makeup and beauty care were seen as the preserve of women of questionable virtue. Despite priests continuing to thunder against the immodesty of their parishioners, lipstick is now on every woman’s lips and the American pin-up girl has become the model to follow."

"With few resources, the couple sets up a small cigarette business, hand-rolled cigarettes made in their home, which they have turned into a workshop. The scene is romantic. Tobacco dries everywhere in the kitchen. The children play while René, seated in his bed, uses the rolling machine and Hélène cuts the ends and packs the cigarettes. Business goes well thanks to their hard work and the loyal clientele of firefighters eager to help their former colleague."

"The conclusion is obvious: for their business to grow, it needs a sign, a large, giant one, visible from afar, easily recognizable, and advertising, lots of advertising. Since October 9, 1951, the Légers have done a little on the radio, on CKVL at a cost of $25 for 30 seconds. But it is not enough. Hélène easily convinces her husband. Innovation and boldness have never frightened René. But, once again, all this is expensive, very expensive. And yet, funds are dwindling day by day. What to do? The couple hardly has the leisure to reflect further. Another trial strikes the family just a few weeks after the taxi incident."

"The illuminated storefront of the snack bar advertises rotisserie chickens! The previous autumn, the business had been bought by a certain Mr. Defontel. The event had completely escaped the Léger family’s notice. There were several restaurants in the neighborhood. So, one more or one less, what difference did it make? Besides, it wasn’t a rotisserie, just a simple snack bar. So, no competition… until now. The Léger’s neighbor has been drawing part of the rotisserie’s clientele for several weeks, maybe even months. However, neither Hélène nor René, no doubt too absorbed in their own concerns, had noticed. What a lesson! What happens around the business matters as much as the business itself, the young woman realizes."

"The clientele. That’s where the problem lies: they need to find a solution to increase it, and quickly. Otherwise, what’s the point of serving the best chicken in the world with the brightest smile? And besides, the couple’s savings are melting away before their eyes. At this rate, the Légers will soon have to shut the doors. However, Hélène refuses to even consider such a possibility. Succumbing to discouragement is simply not like her. For her, hopeless causes do not exist. As for René, he doesn’t know the word “panic.” On the contrary, as a true athlete, it’s often when he’s backed into a corner that he performs at his best. A quality that will prove very useful in the coming months."

"René learned this at Murray’s Lunch: in the restaurant business, every action, every second counts. You need precision and rhythm. The grand ballet of cooks allows for no improvisation, because ultimately there are customers to satisfy and a dining room to fill day after day. You can’t achieve this in chaos. A cold dish or one served late, a waitress panicking – and you risk losing a customer forever. Moreover, wasted energy is expensive. For an evening, the initial earnings max out at $500. That’s not enough considering the effort put in and the expenses to cover. A serious change of direction is needed; otherwise, at the rate things are going—in fits and starts—the business is heading for derailment."

"Putting his experience to good use, René reorganizes the kitchen from top to bottom and applies a simple principle, which will become a model for his future rotisseries: “A busy kitchen doesn’t move!” Everyone stays at their station and no one crosses paths. It is the dishes, the food, that move, not the staff. Also, each employee is assigned two or three specific tasks that do not require them to roam around. The buzzing and anarchic hive is replaced by an orderly assembly line. Within a few days, everything falls into place. In the dining room, Hélène feels energized. This time, she’s sure, the rotisserie is here to stay."

"Getting ahead of the wave. René remembers the lessons from previous months. If he does not meet the demands of his customers, the competition will be happy to do so. All the human resources of St-Hubert Bar-B-Q—in other words, the entire Léger family!—were thus put to use. René hires his brother as a deliveryman and his father takes over order dispatch. During the week, Hélène or René handle the deliveries. Soon enough, though, the family workforce is not enough for the job. Demand continues to grow. Clearly, there is an opportunity here that deserves to be exploited on a larger scale. The idea is beginning to take shape in René’s mind. Of course, this requires an entire organization… and a significant investment—yet another one! Still, the business remains risky."

"Third step: give the only true rotisserie on Saint-Hubert Street the notoriety it deserves. Confident, René convinces Hélène to risk it all, that is, all the money the household has left, by organizing a big advertising campaign. Something never seen before for a restaurant. All his life, the co-founder of St-Hubert Bar-B-Q would maintain his belief in large-scale advertising. For him, it is one of the pillars of business success. Commonplace today, the strategy was bold and decidedly ahead of its time, especially for such modest merchants! But owning a tiny rotisserie doesn’t prevent the owners from thinking big."

"René remains unshakable. Out of sheer exhaustion, they eventually discreetly advise him of two or three agencies. Not long after, a new “star” appears on the small screen: the St-Hubert rooster! Faced with René’s persistence, the broadcaster finally gave in, thus creating a precedent. And what a precedent! His client’s advertising campaign literally bursts onto the screen. “My God! Twelve at the table!” exclaims Juliette Béliveau, who quickly calls St-Hubert Bar-B-Q for help. This good Quebec mother who worries about feeding her brood well instantly becomes a legend. The image hits home. And for good reason. The Légers target the mother of the family, the one who holds the purse strings… and would love to untie those of her apron from time to time. St-Hubert chicken asserts itself not only as the ally of the overwhelmed housewife, but also as the symbol of conviviality, a very strong value in French-Canadian society."

"Happiness never comes alone. Now that the dining room of the rotisserie is operating at a furious pace, a new clientele is appearing on the horizon. Some time before the launch of the advertising campaign, René had observed a curious phenomenon. People were calling to have chicken delivered to their homes. “We don’t do delivery,” he would reply, “but if you want some, we’ll bring it to you.” At the time, with the rotisserie in dire straits, it was hard to refuse customers. But the rotisserie owners had no intention of making this service standard, due to insufficient resources. In the meantime, the radio advertisement changed everything. The phone, which had been silent for far too long, is now constantly busy. In the evenings and especially on weekends, a growing number of customers, enticed by the ads, are asking to be served at home."

"Like its competitors, St-Hubert Bar-B-Q provides delivery, but at the customer’s expense. In addition to the order, the customer must pay $2 or $3 for a taxi. However, at the time, this kind of extra charge is not within everyone’s budget. At this rate, the clientele risks plateauing quickly. René then has a flash of genius: why not deliver the chicken for free? Free delivery, the rotisserie owner believes, would encourage more people to place orders. In return, a sufficient flow of deliveries would allow the transportation costs to be spread among a larger number of people, in short, leading to substantial economies of scale. Even better, beyond a certain threshold, it is possible to make a profit. To make this service profitable, René calculates, they would need to deliver at least $1,000 in meals per week. The concept is revolutionary. Perhaps too much so. Hélène hesitates. If no one has ventured down this path yet, it’s probably because it leads nowhere. And what will they do if the orders are insufficient? Their business is only just starting to recover. Is it really the right time to get involved in another experimental project? In the end, the young woman agrees to “give it a shot.” You might as well strike while the iron is hot."

"The rotisserie is experiencing another upheaval. It’s not the first, and it won’t be the last. The kitchen is being expanded and the basement is being renovated. In no time at all, the Léger family sets up a state-of-the-art delivery system, unique of its kind. Three telephones are installed to take orders, and the rotisserie acquires three cars to ensure deliveries. Of course, radio advertisements announce the good news. The move gets people talking. René becomes the laughingstock of the other shopkeepers. Free delivery? The small rotisserie on Saint-Hubert Street has really lost its mind. At the cost, they’d have to sell a lot of chicken… Impossible, it won’t last a month."

"But the tables turn. While the competition mocks their unusual management, the Légers, who don’t care, take the experiment even further. A technological innovation is starting to invade homes: television. Every evening, more and more families gather around the small screen. René immediately grasps the significance of the phenomenon. If radio increases sales, what about the cathode-ray screen, which captures the public’s attention at the strategic supper hour? Making his service known through this channel… now that promises some busy evenings! Firm in these convictions, René goes to the prestigious channel 2 of Radio-Canada to buy some airtime. The head of advertising, wide-eyed, politely but somewhat bored, explains to him: • - Restaurants don’t advertise on television, sir. It’s too small. The effect won’t last, maybe two or three months at most. René insists. He wants a televised commercial. His interlocutor grows impatient. • - In any case, Radio-Canada does not create advertising messages, you need to contact specialized firms. • - Give me the name of one of them, I’ll manage just fine. • - But that would be against the regulations…"

"Spring 1957. A restaurant adjoining the St-Hubert Bar-B-Q closes. What’s more, the building that housed it is put up for sale. For the Léger family, it’s now or never to expand their dining room. However, they don’t have the means to acquire the building. At least for now. Once again, Mr. Ménard comes to their rescue. Hélène and René convince their landlord to buy the building on their behalf. In exchange, the rotisserie owners will rent the premises from him for 10 years with a purchase option of $90,000. The agreement is signed in May. Once again, sleeves are rolled up at 6355 Saint-Hubert Street. Mr. Ménard’s building is turned upside down: a basement is dug, the framework is redone. The shared wall is knocked down to expand the rotisserie dining room. Ninety thousand dollars! The commitment is colossal; it requires constantly rising revenues. But the Léger family believes in their star more than ever. The events that follow will soon prove them right."

"Mr. Berthelet does not give up. Faced with his interlocutor’s tenacity, René gives in. After all, if he wants to try? And besides, he likes Berthelet. His go-getter attitude reminds him a bit of his own beginnings, when doors had to be broken down and people needed convincing. And then, and then… St-Hubert needs to quickly find a solution to the problem of making its sauce. However, there is no question of revealing the secret formula of its recipe! The leader of the rotisseries nevertheless gives a few hints to the industrialist to guide him in his research. As for the rest, it’s up to him to unlock the secret of the sauce."

"But Anselmo did fall in love with Mexico. He and his wife Mary stayed for 12 years and had three children. Anselmo wrote copy for radio commercials for JWT, and in his free time directed plays for the English-speaking community theater group. He quickly built a network of contacts in the Mexican media and ventured into Spanish-language theater. Since at that time Emilio Jr. was also dabbling in theater, it was inevitable that their paths would cross. In 1954, Emilio and René became friends. Over the following years, together with Luis de Llano of TSM, they produced various Broadway musicals. Generally, Azcárraga provided the capital, Anselmo produced, and De Llano directed. For those who worked with the trio, René was the diplomat: if Emilio lost his temper with someone, René would smooth things over, waiting until his friend was out of earshot to say, “Don’t worry, what Emilio meant is…”"

"Before long, Emilio introduced René to his father, suggesting that it could be very useful to hire that very dynamic gringo, who had a terrible Spanish pronunciation but a very good head for the entertainment business. Don Emilio accepted, and in 1955 Anselmo was put in charge of running a new subsidiary: Teleprogramas de México, which would be responsible for exporting TSM’s programs to Central America and the United States. It was the first version of an operation that, four decades later, under the name Protele, would become the most prolific exporter of television programs in the Spanish-speaking world, with annual sales of more than 100 million dollars."

"Recognition, yes, blind following turned with the failures into aversion, into anger. The master was disenchanted, and it seemed nothing was left of his strengths. For a long time, he was admired because he remained cool in crisis situations and found solutions when others became nervous. René always had an idea, says a financial expert who has completed many transactions with him. Now, with the looming bankruptcies, Benko seemed increasingly erratic. Investor Roland Berger, who last spoke to him in mid-December 2023, realized that things had apparently gotten out of hand for Benko: "Mr. Benko said that he also didn’t have an overview at the moment, he was looking for the numbers and would get back to me. That's when I told him: If you don't have the numbers, who does? I then knew that I would not get a sound, honest answer from him anymore.""