BOUCHERVILLE, Que. — Sportscene Group, whose main shareholders are Jean Bédard and Champlain Financial Corporation, will now be known as Grandio Group and plans to expand its portfolio of brands. Pierre Moreau and his management team (Restos Plaisirs), Stéphane Riopel (Chez Lionel and IRU Izakaya) and Rémy Couture (Crémy Pâtisserie) have decided to join Grandio Group, owner of La Cage – Brasserie Sportive and Moishes, in order to combine their efforts not only to grow their businesses, but also to pave the way for the next generation.
“Grandio Group assembles a number of Quebec entrepreneurs determined to give themselves the means to achieve their ambitions and help their employees to grow through a network of restaurants driven by common values and the mission to be creators of good times,” says Bédard, president and CEO of Grandio Group. “This alliance of brands known and appreciated by Quebecers encourages natural synergies, allows for the exchange of best practices and the implementation of a financial structure that will support their expansion in Quebec and, for some, even beyond Quebec borders.”
“We are proud to unite our restaurant and food-supply businesses into a single family. Joining Grandio enables us to accelerate our growth plan while preserving our DNA. It is clear that we will reap the benefits of this transaction. The opportunities for internal mobility for our employees are one such benefit,” says Moreau, president and CEO of Restos Plaisirs, which operates the Cochon Dingue, Lapin Sauté, Ciel!, Paris Grill, Café du Monde, JaJa and Madame Chose restaurants.
“The pandemic has certainly disrupted the old restaurant business model. Joining such a large group will allow us to benefit from a corporate team that will support our growth,” says Riopel of Chez Lionel and IRU Izakaya.
“In addition to promoting the sharing of best practices in local procurement, recruitment and operational excellence, Grandio will also serve as a springboard to penetrate the market outside Quebec as well as retail markets,” says Pierre Simard, president of Champlain Financial Corporation, which made this new grouping possible with the cooperation of Fondaction, Société Financière Bourgie and Horizon Capital Holdings, among others.
