The La Belle et la Boeuf restaurant in Chicoutimi, which was the target of an armed attack, reopens its doors on Thursday, two weeks after the tragedy.
• Also read: Armed attack: injured in a restaurant in Saguenay
• Also read: Chicoutimi: Three charges of attempted murder following the attacks at the La Belle et la Boeuf restaurant
On Dec. 20, a restaurant employee was arrested while allegedly attacking people with a bladed weapon at this restaurant on Talbot Boulevard in Chicoutimi.
In this incident, three employees were injured and taken to the hospital.
The 30-year-old suspect, Ahmed May, appeared in court the day after the tragedy and is charged with five charges, including three of attempted murder.
Psychological support for employees
Two weeks later, some employees returned to work on a voluntary basis. For some, this event was particularly difficult psychologically.
Therefore, Groupe D Resto is on site to offer psychological support to employees. Several Crime Victim Assistance Center (CAVAC) employees are on site to assist employees.
“Turn the page” and serve customers again
There was a wave of solidarity on site, with several people coming to support the employees. “There are Groupe D Resto employees there, human resources, employees from other restaurants outside Saguenay and us, the ownership team,” says Alexandre Lavoie, marketing director and partner at Groupe D Resto.
“It was time for us to turn the tide. On December 20th we experienced a difficult event. We had to serve our customers again… We'll see how things go today, we'll get everything running smoothly,” he added.
The restaurant has also received a lot of love and support from customers. “We have a lot of encouraging messages. It's heartwarming. We thank the population for their support,” comments Mr. Lavoie.