More than a fond memory of Grandma
Much more than a fond memory of Grandma
In Percé, most people know the story of Thérèse, the grandmother of Billy Bastien and Shaddy Beaudin, two of the four co-owners of the restaurant-bar La Buvette since 2020, in the heart of the village. Set back from the street, its large flowerbed, flanked by a cozy terrace, invites you to browse the menu and explore the decor.
Thérèse Beaudin, a native of Newport who passed away in 2017, was a builder known, among other things, for her hospitality and generosity. It was only natural for the four budding entrepreneurs to name their establishment in her honor.
The menu features original dishes, "local cuisine that changes with the seasons, where cocktails are carefully crafted and wines are lovingly selected," reads the Facebook page. Billy describes it as a place where you can enjoy local products from the sea and the mountains. He also points out that La Buvette Thérèse doesn't present itself as a restaurant or a bar, but rather as a place in between where customers can have brunch, aperitifs, and dinner.
Buvette Thérèse
At the location where La Buvette now stands, there had already been a restaurant, Café Champêtre, since 2000. Billy worked there for 10 years, while pursuing hotel and restaurant management studies, until the then-owners suggested they were planning to sell at the start of the COVID pandemic. Billy gathered three of his friends, including his cousin, all with some experience in the restaurant industry. Together, they developed the Buvette project.
Buvette Thérèse associés
It took guts and boundless determination to launch such an enterprise in the midst of a pandemic. For four young people with no regular income or business history, tackling the financing of a seasonal restaurant open three months a year in Percé was a real challenge, explains Billy. "We had to forget about banks and financial institutions. So we found people who believed in us, and we owe them a lot."
Over the past two years, we've been reconfiguring and redecorating the space. We've created a bar area and equipped the kitchen with a few additions. Nearly thirty people find employment there from May to September.
Oh yes, the website mentions that it's best to make reservations to ensure a table on certain evenings and during brunches.
La Buvette Thérèse
buvettetherese.com
162, QC-132