Restaurant chain La Cage – formerly called La Cage aux Sports – is currently trying to conquer Europe.
The first branch opened in Bordeaux, France last June, which will soon be accompanied by a second restaurant.
However, other European countries could soon discover our sports breweries.
“We have always received requests, mainly coming from France, to export the La Cage concept, and five years ago, there was a serious group with whom we had discussions,” explains Jean Bédard, TVA Nouvelles President and CEO of Cage Brasserie Sportive.
Toma Eczkowitz
So La Cage's managers agreed to do a test in Bordeaux by opening one or two restaurants, as there is no concept like this in France, where sports bars are more like bars, with smaller TVs.
Unexpectedly, the experiment conducted in Bordeaux seems to have sparked interest in other countries.
“We had people from Portugal who came to meet us in December, and they were very serious. We also have people from England, who are also serious,” Mr. Bedard explains.
Jeremy Bernier
“There is already an obsession with this type of restaurant, and Europeans, especially young people, are very open to everything that comes from North America,” he adds.
Mr. Bedard also believes the restaurant chain's Quebec origin also plays to its advantage. Quebec is also in the spotlight at French branches.
“We have decided that they want it with the French group, as with us, and even their desire is that we can export the traditional friendly service of Quebecers to France,” says the president.
The menu is almost identical to that found in the Quebec branches. The French also adopt Quebecois ways of eating during the meal. While in France wine is generally preferred over beer, Bordeaux restaurant customers choose beer in proportions similar to what we observe in Quebec.
“So, when people go to La Cage, they go there for a beer and then have the same experience a little bit. It's great and that's why we're encouraging for the future,” says Mr. Bédard enthusiastically.
To know all the details, listen to the interview with Jean Bedard in the video at the beginning of the article.
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