In this new edition of Fast Delivery, we have to come back to a possible future bill which would regulate the work of young people and which does not make restaurant owners happy while devoting a small special to the roast chicken restaurants of Jonquière and Dolbeau-Mistassini!

Thus, a comment by the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet, caused several players in the restaurant industry to react. This is because the member of the government suggested that he was about to table a bill that would regulate and limit child labor in Quebec based on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Labor and workforce. The latter believes that Quebec should set the minimum age for employment at 14 while prohibiting work weeks of more than 17 hours until age 16.

Obviously, in the midst of a labor shortage, restaurateurs hope that this idea will not go beyond the project phase. They cannot imagine having to deprive themselves of these young people who want to work and who are able to reconcile work and studies.

The Association Restauration Québec (ARQ) even thinks that the survival of some restaurants would be at stake with the application of such a rule.

It must be said that young employees represent a larger percentage than one might think behind the cash register, at the drive-thru or in the kitchen. For example, the teams of the Pizza Salvatoré restaurants include nearly 65% of workers aged between 14 and 16 who work around 20 hours a week.

Ultimately, the responsibility should rest with parents, young workers and restaurateurs to set their own limits.

In addition to Pizza Salvatoré, the Benny&Co chain would undoubtedly be affected by this law. In addition, they have just opened a 75th restaurant specializing in roast chicken. The opening took place just before Christmas in Jonquière. This comes a year after the arrival of the chain in Chicoutimi.

Still in the area of roast chicken, the Coq Rôti restaurant in Dolbeau-Mistassini has just celebrated its 25th anniversary! This longevity makes owner Laurent Détraz very proud, who notes that his restaurant is the only one in the sector to have survived so long.

Of course, the pandemic has played tricks on him, but he has always managed to adapt well. Among other things, he notes less traffic at lunchtimes, on weekdays, due to telework. Not to mention the lack of staff, which forced it to reduce its opening hours and close on Mondays and Tuesdays.