Pushing the boundaries for Ashton

Jean-Christophe Lerette and Émilie Adam surprised everyone in March 2022 when they bought 23 restaurants in Ashton. In their early 30s, the owners of Chez Ti-Oui in Saint-Raymond and three Harvey’s restaurants in Quebec City looked like a frog swallowing beef.

• Also read: The Chez Ashton chain was sold to the owners of Ti-Oui

But basically, this is the kind of thing that sometimes happens in business that can lead to great success. Dizziness ?

“Yes, however,” Emily admits, “but we tolerate risk and it’s always been our dream. Visualization helped.”

“On our trip, we thought we were there. We kept our focus on the project 100% of the time and eliminated all external distractions,” Jean-Christophe confirms.

Born in St. Raymond, they went to school together and became a couple in the fifth grade of high school. They’ve learned to outdo themselves through sports, he’s into hockey, she’s into kayaking.

He studied business administration, management and marketing at the university. She chose financing. Completes perfect.

Pre-planned route

It is rare to meet people who plan their trip to this extent. They have dreams, set goals to achieve them, and realize their ambitions one by one.

“It was instinctive to become entrepreneurs. There was no other choice for us. We trust each other and complement each other,” says Jean-Christophe.

They were in their first year of university when they bought Ti-Oui. Twenty-one years old, he has no catering experience, but sheer willpower and his uncle become a partner.

“Sacrifices were a part of our twenties. It was time and effort and we surrounded ourselves well. Besides, it was never up to us,” says Emily.

The couple is still amazed to see Ashton’s employees are as dedicated and proud as their company would be. It helps to move on, that’s for sure.

across Canada

In 2017, in search of a joint venture to solidify their fast food expertise and understanding of the chain’s best practices, the couple purchased three Harvey’s restaurants.

This was a step towards the dream of owning their chain of restaurants, which paid off with Ashton.

“It was the right place we wanted to work on, the only model we wanted to replicate: completely new,” says Jean-Christophe.

“We’ve always been fans. We went there every week.” Emily smiles.

Since their acquisition, they have done strategic planning with a motivated staff looking for new challenges. They hope to open 24^H Ashton in 2023, and two more each year after that.

The brand image will be renewed. There is work for several years ahead, but the couple did not get the impression that they work so much, it is a matter of passion.

The ultimate dream? Make the Pioneer the pride of Quebecers across Canada. Quebec restaurateurs who risk themselves in Montreal are already rare, so in Toronto and Vancouver, even more so.

But dreaming big and being well-rounded makes it possible to cross many boundaries, real or imaginary.

A lot of

The person who inspires them?

• She: Alain Bouchard, founder of Couche-Tard, for daring to believe in it.
• HIM: Football player Tom Brady for his winning will and performance.

Entrepreneurship is…?

• You want to create, build and succeed as a team.

What do we not know about them?

• They traveled to Florida xreturn to shake hands and drink coffee with Ashton Leblond early in the sale to secure their selection!