Côtes-à-Côtes is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, just one year after its move to the Lebourgneuf sector. Formerly located in the Quartier Petit Champlain, the restaurant has completely renewed its clientele and is performing brilliantly. Among other things, its catering service and especially its food trucks are more popular than ever, seeing its clientele increase steadily by 20% per year. From a single truck in 2017, co-owners Nicolas Lavigne and Yohan Bottero now have four units that travel throughout the greater Quebec City region to introduce the delights of Côtes-à-Côtes to more than 800 businesses per year.
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS: DIVERSIFICATION
Fifteen years in business for a restaurateur is increasingly rare. The many economic pitfalls and, in recent years, the labor shortage have made life difficult for these business people and even the most passionate are often forced to give up. So what is the secret of the success of Côtes-à-Côtes, which has reached 1 million customers served in restaurants and 75,000 people in food trucks? Aside from its delicious ribs, of course, the best in Quebec, it is the diversification that allows Nicolas Lavigne to stand out. “The demand for our catering service and our food trucks is constantly increasing. We're even going to offer sugar shack catering from March 15 to April 15! “, he specifies. Specializing in group service was a miraculous decision for Côtes-à-Côtes: birthdays, retirements, corporate dinners, 5@7, everything goes, thanks to the construction in 2018 of a production kitchen which made it possible to increase production capacities in order to be able to serve up to 1000 people per day! Offering catering for groups of 500 guests or more is now common and is no longer an issue for the co-owners.
With the move to Lebourgneuf, the business model and clientele of Côtes-à-Côtes have changed, but the co-owners have no regrets! On the contrary, business has never been better. “Our clientele has gone from a tourist clientele to a clientele of regulars who come from all over the greater Quebec region to enjoy our vibrant concept, our lounge atmosphere and savor our ribs and grilled meats,” says Nicolas. “Business periods have also changed and this new reality has allowed us to diversify even further. »
Proof by 9 that Côtes-à-Côtes is experiencing significant success: Nicolas Lavigne and his partner are fortunately not experiencing recruitment problems, while the majority of restaurateurs no longer know which way to turn. “When we post a position, we receive hundreds of CVs! And we have an excellent employee retention rate. Many of them have been with us for over 10 years! ". What's the secret? The promotion of commitment and collaboration, because it is by helping each other that the restaurant can allow itself to reach new heights: Côtes-à-Côtes we will be, the further we will go!
PROMOTIONS ALL YEAR ROUND
To celebrate these 15 years of success, Côtes-à-Côtes will offer special promotions every month in 2024. To watch out for, among other things, the Côte-levée Festival in April! Details to come on website.
15 YEARS IN WAZY NUMBERS
After 15 years of specializing in gourmet meat, Côtes-à-Côtes has offered its customers more than 75 tonnes of ribs (which represents around 50 elephants), 10 tonnes of fish and chips, 8 tonnes of duck confit and 30 tons of grills, all in 5,600 days of opening, with 1,500 employees involved over the years. Figures that say a lot about the popularity of signature dishes!
SOURCE: BROUILLARD COMMUNICATION
