The massacre continues in the world of catering. In serious financial difficulties, the Toqué group of renowned Montreal chef Normand Laprise owes nearly $5 million to its suppliers.
The Toqué group recently placed three of its companies sheltered from their creditors under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, has noted The newspaper.
The documents submitted to the trustee show a distressing financial situation, like the crisis which is hitting many other less prestigious catering companies.
- Listen to the press review commented by Alexandre Dubé via QUB :
Distributors of cheese, fruit and vegetables and kitchen equipment, vineyards, banks… the list of creditors includes nearly 100 names.
Even the window cleaner and knife sharpener were not paid.
Toqué group companies also owe thousands of dollars linked to a loan from Revenu Québec and another from Canada Economic Development. Not to mention the RBC bank, which had granted the sum of approximately $850,000.
The trustee takes control
On January 3, the restaurant group announced the closure of the five Brasserie T! establishments, notably in Montreal, Sainte-Thérèse and Brossard. No less than 130 people had lost their jobs.
- Listen to the interview with Robert Dion, founder and publisher of HRImag, via QUB:
The well-known upscale restaurant Toqué!, located in the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec building, however, reopened its doors after the holiday break.
Since then, three companies in the group have filed for bankruptcy, including the Société en commandite Groupe Toqué, of which bankruptcy trustee Nathalie Brault took control on February 5. A meeting of creditors was also to be held this Tuesday.
Contacted Wednesday afternoon, Denise Deveau, public relations officer for the Toqué Group, indicated that it was not planned that the famous Toqué! closes its doors.
The restaurant Toqué!
“Photo Agence QMI, Mario Beauregard”
Normand Laprise and Christine Lamarche, the co-founders of the company, did not wish to grant an interview.
In January, they assured in a press release that they would deploy “their efforts and their talent to ensure the sustainability of Toqué!, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023”.
Inflation and turnover
Both had highlighted the difficulties they face as restaurateurs, notably “the increasing cost of raw materials, construction and salaries”, as well as “staff turnover”.
We can no longer count the establishments that have disappeared throughout Quebec in recent months for similar reasons.
Only in Montreal, / in the first week of January, the Café boutique les Malins, the Beaufort Bistro and the Dinette Nationale announced their closure.
In September 2023, The newspaper revealed that two-thirds of restaurants that received a $60,000 loan from the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic have still not made any repayments.
The deadline for this reimbursement was January 18.
With the collaboration of Philippe Langlois