The news hit like a ton of bricks after the New Year's holiday: five of the six Brasseries T! properties of star chef Normand Laprise are going out of business, leading to the immediate layoff of 130 employees. This news has taken many specialists by surprise and raises an important question: is this a precursor to the difficult times ahead of restaurateurs?

It is because of operating costs, the negative impact of inflation and staff turnover that chef Normand Laprise and Christine Lamarche, co-owners, made this decision despite the good operation and traffic of the Brasserie T!, emphasizing that the pandemic occurred at the worst time in the development of the network with an expansion plan in 2019.

The addresses concerned were located in the Mile-End/Parc-Extension district of Montreal, in Sainte-Thérèse, in Brossard, at Comptoir-Épicerie on avenue Beaumont in Montreal and at Burger T! from the Time Out Market in Montreal.

Shareholders are already looking for professionals to acquire the establishments and re-employ employees.

The Toqué! restaurant, the group's flagship, remains open.

Shock

This unexpected closure arouses sadness, disappointment and astonishment in the restaurant community, raising fears of difficult times for the sector.

Restaurateurs, such as Véronique Rivest in Gatineau and Arnaud Marchand in Quebec, express their disappointment at the closure of establishments run by a chef as well-known and respected as Normand Laprise.

Véronique Rivest underlines the importance of the catering sector in Quebec tourism, while other restaurateurs, such as Benoit Duclos in Sherbrooke, are more optimistic about the future of their establishment.