The closure of the Signé Toqué branches offers nothing tempting for restaurateurs and their customers at the beginning of 2024.
• Also read: Brasserie T! closes its restaurants, 130 jobs are lost
Although the pandemic is behind us, it has put a damper on chef Normand Laprise and his wife's expansion plans, but that's not the only factor.
Despite satisfactory traffic levels, inflation, utility costs and salaries have expanded the menu. As a result, operating costs at the Beaumont Street production kitchen had become too high to support the three branches.
For the Association Restauration Québec, the failure of Brasserie T. does not necessarily apply to other establishments.
“Will there be more closures? Possible, but it will not be on the same path as the Signé Toqué group,” Martin Vezina told LCN.
Change in customer behavior
Brasserie T! closed its doors during the worst time of the year, the post-holiday lull. The most vulnerable restaurateurs could therefore experience a more difficult year in terms of expected income.
Customer behavior could also work against entrepreneurs. Gastronomy lovers met near Brasserie T! from the Dix30 neighborhood recognized that post-pandemic price ranges are changing their consumption habits.
“Since catering is a luxury product, we go here much less often,” one woman told TVA Nouvelles.
“We see costs rising everywhere. Of course, I believe that there will also be an impact on skilled workers,” emphasizes one respondent.
“When I see the bill, I realize we weren't here three or four years ago. We didn’t pay what we pay today,” explains another lady.
The 130 Signé Toqué employees who lose their jobs will be helped to find new jobs at other restaurants.