Swiss Chalet

For the architectural style, see Swiss chalet style.
For the defunct American hotel chain, see Susse Chalet.
Swiss Chalet
Subsidiary
Industry Food service
Founded Toronto, Ontario (1954)
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Key people
 Todd Barclay, Edgar Alvarez, Steven Greene, Michael Farley, Abhik Banerji
Products Canadian cuisine
Parent Cara Operations
Website swisschalet.com

Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto. As of 2008, there are over 200 Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada. Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Cara Operations, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. Swiss Chalet and Harvey's franchises share many locations.

Swiss Chalet franchises include a variety of points of sale. Swiss Chalet locations generally include a dining room, a take-out counter, and delivery. Some feature drive-thru windows while other locations in certain urban areas are only take-out counters and are more akin to fast food restaurants. The brand also has an online food ordering system. Cara Operations retails Signature Swiss Chalet sauce, gravy, and marinades (as powdered mixes) in Canadian supermarkets.

There was only one Swiss Chalet in Puerto Rico, until it later closed in 2011.[1]

History

The first Swiss Chalet restaurant, at 234 Bloor Street West in Toronto, operated for 52 years. The building featured exposed-beam ceilings in the Swiss chalet style. This store closed in 2006 and was demolished in 2009 as part of a condominium development.

Take-out version of the Quarter Chicken dinner

In the early 2000s, Cara Operations closed all of its Quebec based restaurants and permanently withdrew from the province.

Swiss Chalet returned to Saskatchewan with a location in south Regina, although this location no longer shows on their website. In 2008, Air Canada added Swiss Chalet food products to its buy-on-board menu.[2]

In 2010, the last two Swiss Chalet restaurants in the United States closed. They were located in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York.[3] On June 1, 2011, the only Swiss Chalet restaurant operating in Puerto Rico closed its doors.[4]

On March 31, 2016, Swiss Chalet's parent, Cara Operations, announced that it will acquire St-Hubert, a Quebec-based chain of rotisserie chicken restaurants, in the summer of 2016 for CAD$537 million.[5][6]

The restaurant features a menu that is centred on its signature item, rotisserie chicken. The Quarter Chicken Dinner, the restaurant's signature dish, includes a roasted chicken leg or breast with "Chalet Sauce", a bread roll, and a side dish of choice. Other combinations up to and including a whole chicken are also available.

Although chicken dishes make up the majority of the chain's menu (including other dishes like chicken soups, salads, pastas and sandwiches), the menu also features a handful of non-chicken items including pork ribs, fish and chips, burgers, and desserts.

During the Christmas season, Swiss Chalet features a second version of its quarter and full-chicken dinners: the "Festive Special". In addition to the normal meal, the Festive Special adds stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a five-pack of Lindt chocolate truffles. The truffles debuted in 2000, replacing a 100g Toblerone bar.[7]

A Swiss Chalet restaurant in Markham.

Loyalty program

Swiss Chalet began a partnership with Scene in February 2015.

Advertising slogans

Swiss Chalet's first advertisement (mid-1950s) promotes the original restaurant on Bloor Street in Toronto.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.elnuevodia.com/negocios/finanzas/nota/alaquiebraswisschalet-980370/
  2. ↑ "Onboard Café" (PDF). Air Canada. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Swiss Chalet lovers trek over the border to get their fix - City & Region". The Buffalo News. 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  4. ↑ http://www.elnuevodia.com/negocios/finanzas/nota/alaquiebraswisschalet-980370/
  5. ↑ David Paddon (2016-03-31). "In rotisserie chicken marriage, owner of Swiss Chalet buys St-Hubert for $537M". Thestar.com. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  6. ↑ "Cara announces purchase of St-Hubert - Mar 31, 2016". Cara.investorroom.com. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  7. ↑ "Adnews". Adnews.com. 2000-11-09. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
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