Opened in August 1944 by Swiss immigrant Marcel Mauron. His daughter still runs the house — one address, never two.
Marcel Mauron, who arrived from Switzerland, opened Chalet Bar-B-Q on the edge of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in August 1944 — seven years before the St-Hubert chain opened its first rotisserie. Today it is one of the oldest rotisseries on the island of Montréal. His daughter, Louise McConnell, still runs the house.
The recipe has not changed: fresh chicken purchased locally, slow-cooked over charcoal in custom-built brick ovens, served with golden fries and a sauce no one has ever cracked the secret of. The house sells nearly 3,000 each week. Some waitresses have had entire careers there — one, Lucia, retired after 56 years of service; another, Mariette, had 54.
Despite decades of franchise requests from as far away as Toronto, Vancouver and Florida, the answer has never changed. “Our answer will never change. We will keep a single address,” summarized David T., who manages the establishment under the supervision of general manager Danny Colantonio, a few years ago.