La Belle Province (restaurant)
Encyclopedia
La Belle Province is a well-known fast-food eatery in the province of Quebec
, Canada
. It is known as La Belle Pro, Belle Pro, or La Belle for short nicknames. Each location is independently franchised; some are open 24 hours a day.
, opened the first La Belle Province on Sherbrooke Street
East in 1970. He took the name with permission from a restaurant on Saint Catherine Street
where he had worked, which had burned down in the 1960s. It became a franchise when the second location was opened in Saint-Hubert
in 1976.
Kivetos' ownership group had 45 locations in 1997. By 1999 there were 125 locations under the name La Belle Province. It is not strictly a franchise operation, in 1999 there were six different ownership groups, mostly relatives of Kivetos.
In 2010, two restaurant owners were fined $22,000 for failure to pay the Goods and Services Tax
and were charged an additional $45,000 for the amount that they owed.
In the early 2000s, a location opened in Oakville, ON, a suburb of Toronto, in hopes of taking advantage of the influx of former montrealers living in the area. The restaurant would later close down.
, club sandwich
es, hamburgers, Montreal hot dog
s, smoked meat sandwiches
, and souvlaki
.
Usually, their beverage menu comes from Pepsi-QTG Canada
, but at locations in Dorval (the Dorval Ave. location) and Kirkland
, products from Coca-Cola Ltd.
are served instead.
judge ruled that the La Belle Province franchise owners could not prevent others from giving a similar name to their restaurants, because "la belle province
" is an official nickname for the province of Quebec. This resulted in several knock-off franchises that had menus and prices similar to the original franchise in order to capitalize on its existing image and marketing. Notable knock-offs include Belle Province II, La Plus Belle Province, La Belle Québécoise and La Très Belle Province.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is known as La Belle Pro, Belle Pro, or La Belle for short nicknames. Each location is independently franchised; some are open 24 hours a day.
History
Founder Peter Kivetos, a native of GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, opened the first La Belle Province on Sherbrooke Street
Sherbrooke Street
Sherbrooke Street is a major east-west artery and at in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal. The street begins in the town of Montreal West and ends on the extreme tip of the island in Pointe-aux-Trembles, intersecting Gouin Boulevard and joining up with Notre-Dame...
East in 1970. He took the name with permission from a restaurant on Saint Catherine Street
Saint Catherine Street
This article is about the street in Montreal called the rue Sainte-Catherine in French. For other streets of this name, see Rue Sainte-Catherine ....
where he had worked, which had burned down in the 1960s. It became a franchise when the second location was opened in Saint-Hubert
Saint-Hubert, Quebec
Saint-Hubert is a borough in the city of Longueuil, located in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It had been a separate city prior to January 1, 2002, when it along with several other neighbouring south shore municipalities were merged into Longueuil. According to the Quebec Statistics...
in 1976.
Kivetos' ownership group had 45 locations in 1997. By 1999 there were 125 locations under the name La Belle Province. It is not strictly a franchise operation, in 1999 there were six different ownership groups, mostly relatives of Kivetos.
In 2010, two restaurant owners were fined $22,000 for failure to pay the Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
and were charged an additional $45,000 for the amount that they owed.
In the early 2000s, a location opened in Oakville, ON, a suburb of Toronto, in hopes of taking advantage of the influx of former montrealers living in the area. The restaurant would later close down.
Menu
La Belle Province serves breakfast and lunch, including items such as poutinePoutine
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added.Poutine is a fast food dish that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada...
, club sandwich
Club sandwich
A club sandwich, also called a clubhouse sandwich or double-decker, is a sandwich with two layers of fillings between 3 slices of toasted bread. It is often cut into quarters and held together by hors d'œuvre sticks....
es, hamburgers, Montreal hot dog
Montreal hot dog
The Montreal hot dog is one of several variations of hot dogs served as a fast food staple at restaurants and diners in Montreal and other parts of Quebec...
s, smoked meat sandwiches
Smoked meat
Smoked meat is a method of preparing red meat which originates in prehistory. Its purpose is to preserve these protein-rich foods, which would otherwise spoil quickly, for long periods. There are two mechanisms for this preservation: dehydration and the antibacterial properties of absorbed smoke...
, and souvlaki
Souvlaki
Souvlaki or souvlakia is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It may be served on the skewer for eating out of hand, in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate, often with fried potatoes...
.
Usually, their beverage menu comes from Pepsi-QTG Canada
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
, but at locations in Dorval (the Dorval Ave. location) and Kirkland
Kirkland, Quebec
Kirkland is a town on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 20,491. It is named after Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec provincial politician....
, products from Coca-Cola Ltd.
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
are served instead.
Reason for the various names
A QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
judge ruled that the La Belle Province franchise owners could not prevent others from giving a similar name to their restaurants, because "la belle province
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
" is an official nickname for the province of Quebec. This resulted in several knock-off franchises that had menus and prices similar to the original franchise in order to capitalize on its existing image and marketing. Notable knock-offs include Belle Province II, La Plus Belle Province, La Belle Québécoise and La Très Belle Province.
See also
- Dic Ann's HamburgersDic Ann's HamburgersDic Ann's Hamburgers is a fast-food restaurant chain based in the Montreal Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1954, Dic Ann's is best known for their extremely thin hamburgers, which are topped with their own unique meat sauce, and served with a tongue depressor. Their poutine is also served with Dic...
- Lafleur RestaurantsLafleur RestaurantsLafleur Restaurants is a chain of family-owned fast food restaurants located in the metropolitan area of Montreal.- Cuisine :Lafleur is widely known for serving the basic staples of Québécois fast food, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries and poutine. It is particularly known for its hot dog...
- Valentine (restaurant)Valentine (Restaurant)Valentine is a chain of over 100 privately owned restaurant franchises operating in the province of Quebec, Canada.The first restaurant opened in 1979 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec...