In Percé, most people know the story of Thérèse, grandmother of Billy Bastien and Shaddy Beaudin, two of the four co-owners of the La Buvette restaurant-bar since 2020, right in the heart of the village. Set back from the street, its large flowerbed, with a welcoming terrace peeking through, invites you in to look over the menu and take in the decor.
Thérèse Beaudin, a Newport native who died 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 honour.
The menu features original dishes: "local cuisine that changes with the seasons, where cocktails are carefully crafted and wines are chosen with love," reads the Facebook page. Billy describes it as a place where you can taste local products from the sea and the mountains. He also clarifies that Buvette Thérèse isn't a restaurant or a bar, but something in between where customers can have brunch, drinks, and dinner.
Where La Buvette now stands, there was already a restaurant, Café Champêtre, which had been there since 2000. Billy worked there for 10 years while pursuing studies in hospitality and restaurant management, until the owners at the time hinted at their intention to sell, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Billy gathered three friends, including his cousin, all of whom had some experience in the restaurant industry. Together they developed the Buvette project.
It took guts and boundless determination to embark on such an undertaking in the midst of a pandemic. Four young people with no permanent income and no business history faced the challenge of financing a seasonal restaurant open three months a year in Percé, explains Billy. "We had to forget about banks and financial institutions. So we found people who believed in us, and we owe them a great debt of gratitude."
For the past two years, the premises have been reconfigured and redecorated. A bar area has been created, and the kitchen has been equipped with a few additional items. Nearly thirty people find employment there from May to September.
Ah yes, the website mentions that it is best to book to ensure you get a table on certain evenings and during brunches.
La Buvette Thérèse
buvettetherese.com
162, QC-132
Percé, QC G0C 2L0
418.689.9609