René Léger

"No longer anonymous, St-Hubert Bar-B-Q has become an institution. The mockers are confounded. Could they have guessed it? René has marketing in his blood. “It was advertising that made me known, that put me on the map,” he says, “it’s advertising that will continue to bring me success.” The Légers observe, analyze, innovate. Are they not the pioneers of free delivery in Canada? And then, they sell more than just chicken. They are also spreading a certain idea of Quebec: warmth, friendliness, simplicity. Others will imitate them later on. Meanwhile, the rotisserie owners take a nearly insurmountable lead over the competition. “From that moment on,” René Léger would say later, “the business more or less pushed me from behind, and I would really have had to make an effort not to succeed.”"

"But far from crushing the Léger family, the ordeal energized them. To start, it revealed to René the unsuspected strengths of his wife. “It was above all an opportunity for me to discover my wife’s true personality, her courage,” he would later say. “She fully understood the situation I was in and all the troubles that might ensue for our little family. Yet, she never stopped encouraging me, constantly reminding me that it would all end one day…” As a result, the recovering man underwent a deep personal reevaluation."

"The realization of the project proves to be more arduous. A space must be leased and a complete set of kitchen equipment acquired, rotisseries purchased, utensils, tables, chairs. Quite the program! The Légers quickly come up against the limits. Their savings, the result of previous businesses, may seem substantial for the time—$7,500. However, this is a bit tight for investing in a restaurant. As for credit, the couple doesn’t even consider it! Back then, French Canadians had little capital and banks were hardly willing to lend to them. But this kind of concern does nothing to diminish the determination of the young entrepreneurs. After several days of searching, they finally find a space. The place is decent, no more, but a good coat of paint and a thorough cleaning should be enough to turn the pumpkin into a carriage. Hélène and René quickly call the owner, a certain Mr. Ménard."

"Now, a short time after this unsuccessful attempt, a young man shows up at the company offices. He wants to meet with Mr. Léger. No problem. At St-Hubert, he is well known since he is Raymond Berthelet, one of the regular suppliers of the company. This entrepreneur, along with his brother Yves, manufactures a chicken soup base that he distributes throughout Quebec. He delivers his goods to the rotisseries every week. This time, however, the purpose of his visit is different. The meteoric success of his client has given him a good idea, a golden idea. Why not dehydrate the famous sauce and sell it in supermarkets? The popularity of St-Hubert would guarantee the product’s success. The businessman has already mentioned the idea to the rotisserie owner. The Berthelets and the Légers could even launch a joint venture on equal terms. Although skeptical, René welcomes the businessman with his customary courtesy. But the objections soon start flying."

"The counter is doing so well that, three years later, it is decided to open an adjoining dining room. René Léger likes to say that he trusts young people. The growth of his business gives him the opportunity to prove it once again. Florent Pelletier inherits the position of evening manager, while Pierre Paul Boucher still holds the day position. That same year, in April 1960, a new branch is created at 4590 Sainte-Catherine East Street. The establishment also experiences tremendous success, much to the delight of Jean-Claude Proulx who finds himself in charge. In the basement of the establishment, the Légers set up a pastry shop that will provide desserts for all the rotisseries."

"In 1964, the modest rotisserie of the early days is a distant memory. St-Hubert has four rotisseries, more than a hundred employees, thousands of customers, and an excellent reputation. Managing such growth requires some administrative adjustments. From now on, management will delegate more responsibilities to branch managers. In case of trouble, they will still be able to reach the boss at any time. As René Léger’s right-hand man, Exélire Moquin, for his part, ensures that administrative directives are followed. These measures are complemented by the creation of the first management committee, on which management and managers sit. Distinctive feature: all its members are trained at the “university” of St-Hubert and know the company inside out, both its workings and its spirit. The boss always listens very attentively to the remarks and suggestions of his “partners.” He takes them very seriously, asks questions, takes notes. When he likes an idea, the response usually doesn’t take too long. “Is it your idea? Try it.” It is clear that Mr. Léger likes to encourage initiative and innovation within his team. It is his way of developing responsible and enterprising people."

"But the hardest part remains to be done: drawing up the plans for a rotisserie and installing everything in a week and a half. Fortunately, the sharp team at St-Hubert is already experienced. Renovation and development work in the branches has never really stopped over the past ten years. Thus, Jean-Claude Proulx, who has worked on several of these projects, will be in charge of the design and execution of the project on Île Notre-Dame. A real race against time begins. However, René Léger has covered his bases. Did he expect that the organizers of Terre des Hommes would one day come back? In any case, the St-Hubert Bar-B-Q workshop, located on Normanville Street, is already running at full speed at the time of the agreement. The Légers in fact control the manufacturing of their equipment from A to Z. They thus have a permanent team that builds the counters and rotisserie ovens as well as ensuring their maintenance. As early as spring, they hired extra staff to build new rotisserie ovens. Pierre Paul Boucher is one of them. He was even detached from his position as manager at Saint-Henri for the purpose. The young man suspected that something was going on. Mr. Léger is not the type to shake everything up without a reason. Whatever the case, the result is there: eight ovens with a capacity of sixty chickens are ready for the opening."

"A shadow on the picture, however: this new class of businesspeople lacks the financial foundations to really take off. In fact, this means that French Canadians account for barely 20% of the province’s growth, even though they represent 85% of its population. Starting in 1960, successive governments would adopt a policy of redirecting economic development in favor of Francophones. In this regard, the slogans of the Liberals hardly deceive: “Things must change!”, “Masters in our own house”… Spearheading this “revolution”: the Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec is tasked with supporting Quebec business projects. In such an atmosphere, the meteoric rise of St-Hubert rotisseries appears far more worthy of esteem than it did a few years earlier. In September 1966, René Léger was elected “Man of the Month” by the magazine Commerce, which devoted a long article to him. He and his wife certainly did not wait for the Quiet Revolution to build a business that, with an annual turnover of 4 million dollars, confirms a little more each day its place among the gems of new Quebec entrepreneurship. The couple nevertheless embody the successful role model of the moment. A major event will soon confirm this impression."

"Certainly, she never denied her humble origins. Even at the convent, Claire felt different from her classmates, all daughters of doctors, notaries, lawyers… Not that she really suffered from it, but she knew how to read between the lines: in the mind of this cautious French-Canadian elite, her father was a restaurateur, not a professional. Hadn’t her admission to the Sophie-Barrat school been refused because of her parents’ occupation? At the end of the 1950s, running a business and making profits was rather frowned upon in some very religious circles. All that wasn’t very Catholic. René Léger himself was not always very comfortable with this notion… If someone pointed out to him that his portions were too generous, that deliveries cost him a lot? He would invariably answer instantly: “No profit? It’s not a big deal! The important thing is to satisfy the customer…”"

"On April 28, 1967, Expo opens its doors: 300,000 Montrealers and impatient tourists storm the site, armed with their “passport” complete with photo and souvenir pages. Over the next 184 days, more than fifty million visitors will pass through the turnstiles of Terre des Hommes. The crowds are so large that the food services “crack” and quickly become saturated. In insufficient numbers, the restaurants and snack bars are packed at all times. At mealtimes, people wait in line for between half an hour and an hour before being served. People grumble, discontent grows. It is an unforgivable logistical problem for an event of this scale. This is something that threatens to tarnish Expo’s shine. A solution must be found, and quickly, the organizers are aware of this. In desperation, Lucien Saulnier, Jean Drapeau’s right-hand man, contacts several companies that, at first glance, seem capable of quickly resolving the crisis on Notre-Dame Island. St-Hubert Bar-B-Q is one of them. The order is ambitious: serve 20,000 meals per day! René Léger remains unfazed: “I can do it without any problem and… within ten days!” This kind of gamble is right up his alley. When the opportunity to surpass himself arises, the water polo champion surfaces again with his slightly provocative drive to win. He also knows he can rely on a solid team. Had he not built it himself, in that combative spirit? Amazed by such flair, Mr. Saulnier grants the concession to the president of St-Hubert. Certainly, time is of the essence. Summer will soon be here, and the return of warm weather will only increase the flow of visitors. From then on, the situation could quickly become unmanageable. This time, René Léger is in a position of strength. This allows him to secure much more advantageous installation conditions than originally. In exchange, St-Hubert Bar-B-Q commits to building another restaurant—this one with two hundred and fifty seats—on the La Ronde site, behind the Aquarium. It will, moreover, be Jean-Pierre who manages it."

"In the meantime, what an adventure! The agreement barely reached, all the trades are on site from day one of construction. Ironically, the rotisserie was chosen to be set up under the thematic pavilion “Man and His Work”… One could not have imagined better omens. The men work in shifts 24 hours a day in order to achieve the Expo’s feat: to set up in eight days a rotisserie with eight hundred and fifty seats with counter service, equipped with a full kitchen. On the ninth day, chicken is served. René Léger won his bet."

"Without knowing it, René Léger invents a concept of modern dining, ensuring quality on a large scale. The Expo episode proves it: St-Hubert Bar-B-Q serves “real” full meals at the same speed as hamburgers. To save time, chicken is served on aluminum plates with plastic utensils. So, no dishwashing, since everything is thrown away after use. Since frying is prohibited on site to prevent fires, fries are replaced with mashed potatoes, which also allows them to be prepared in advance. Space is saved on the plate by pouring the sauce into a “well” dug in the middle of the mashed potatoes. To speed up service, each employee performs a single task, unlike the protocol in use at other rotisseries where one person is responsible for two or three operations."

"A comforting element, the bosses work side by side with the staff, getting their hands dirty themselves, never shirking any task, even the humblest. Sharing the same work shifts inevitably creates strong bonds. Florent, for instance, quickly becomes fond of the Léger family and is inspired by their dedication. “If they can do it, I can do it too.” The esteem is mutual. His boss pushes him so much that after six months Florent is ready for a manager position. He’s not even twenty yet. No doubt this is one of René Léger’s strengths: knowing how to spot the talents that will help his business grow."