Montreal’s iconic Putin restaurant La Banquise will change hands and be run by the owners of Quebec’s Ashton Poutineries, who have promised to “continue the tradition of excellence” of the popular eatery.
“You can’t change a recipe for success. Since its beginnings, La Banquise has been distinguished by reinvented classics that continually redefine the boundaries of culinary creativity. It is this boldness that fascinated us from our first visit,” said La Banquise’s new co-owner, Jean-Christophe Lirette, in a press release on Tuesday.
The family snack bar, founded in 1968, announced that it would be passing the torch to two young entrepreneurs with “a passion for Putin,” Émily Adam and Jean-Christophe Lirette, who have already taken over the popular 23-store Ashton chain in 2022 Quebec region.
The latter would therefore have been chosen by Annie Barsalou, daughter of the restaurant’s founder Pierre Barsalou, after being assured that “La Banquise will remain La Banquise”, she stressed in a press release.
“This gives us the opportunity to leave with peace of mind, knowing that the sustainability of this restaurant that we care so much about is assured,” added Annie Barsalou, who has been at the helm since 1994.
A true Montreal institution, the Rachel Street restaurant was just a small dairy when it opened in 1968 before quickly transforming into a 24-hour snack bar a few months later. Putin had become a menu favorite by 1980, offering a variety of creative toppings for potatoes, brown gravy and cheese.
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Originally posted 2023-11-14 13:30:17.