The F. Dufresne Group is passing the puck to other players by selling the Topla restaurant chain! which he founded in Quebec in 2014 and which now has eight branches. Among the buyers we find two entrepreneurs, Benoit Thibeault and Élyse Leclerc, as well as the main shareholders of Pizza Salvatoré.
The new owners will take control of the channel from January 30th. The seven-figure amount of the transaction was not disclosed.
“It was an opportunity that presented itself and since there was a lot of potential, we had no choice but to take it,” said Élyse Leclerc, co-owner of the chain specializing in pasta.
The F. Dufresne Group didn't necessarily want to sell the Topla chain! Instead, he looked for business partners.
“We were in talks for almost a year. We signed the agreement at the end of 2023,” explained Ms. Leclerc.
The new owners of Topla! are Benoit Thibeault and Élyse Leclerc, center, and the Abbatiello siblings from Pizza Salvatoré. Photo Marc-Antoine Hallé
The couple knows the Abbatiello family that runs Pizza Salvatoré well, as Mr. Thibeault has been part of the team in a senior position for several years.
Proud
“I for one am very excited. I also meet the Abbatiello family. I definitely believe in our success. They are proven entrepreneurs. We are able to apply the same magic recipe to Topla!” continued Ms. Leclerc.
The chain has seven restaurants in the Quebec region and another in Blainville.
“The founding and launch of the Topla restaurant chain! will forever remain a source of great pride for the F. Dufresne Group and we look forward to seeing it shine in Quebec and perhaps elsewhere in the coming years,” reacted Francis Dufresne, President of the F. Dufresne Group, which was founded the project in 2014 with the opening of its first restaurant in Beauport.
The new shareholders want to breathe new life into the chain.
“We want to continue the expansion work that F. Dufresne Group undertook before the pandemic. We want to offer it everywhere in Quebec. “With Salvatoré’s expertise, we will achieve the expansion we dream of,” said the co-owner.
The goal is to triple the network in three years.
“We are confident that this can be achieved quickly as we have motivated and enthusiastic teams for the project,” she continued.
This transaction marks a revival of the Quebec region's restaurant industry following the sale of the Ashton chain to young entrepreneurs in 2022. More recently, the third generation of the Martin family, owners of the St-Hubert Rotisseries, purchased two Harvey's franchises in the State capital.
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