The Irish pub, formerly known as Ye Olde Orchard Pub, has been renamed the Orchard Public House following a complaint to the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), which asked the establishment to add a description in French to its trading name.
• Also read: OQLF: Ye Olde Orchard forced to become “Le Vieux Verger”?
After 27 years under the same name, the eatery’s sign was changed this week, the Montreal Gazette reported Thursday.
“We [avons fait le changement] according to the recommendations that OQLF first sent to us, said Joe Pilotte, co-owner and vice president of operations.
In May 2023, a complaint was made to the OQLF against the Irish pub because the sign did not contain a description of its activities in French. To comply with the law, the pub would have had to add “credits, description or slogan” and, for example, rename itself “Pub Ye Olde Orchard”.
“It is up to the company to choose the means that best suit it to comply with the law. The Office is therefore waiting for the company’s correction proposal regarding the display of its trademark,” the OQLF explained.
However, the display rules are set to change from June 2025. To ensure that the brand didn’t have to be changed twice, the restaurateur opted for a new name in French.