Swiss Chalet
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| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Foodservice |
| Founded | Toronto, Ontario (1954) |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Key people | Edgar Alvarez, Steven Greene |
| Products | Canadian cuisine |
| Parent | Cara Operations |
| Website | swisschalet.ca |
Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto. As of 2008, there are over 200 Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada and the United States. Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Cara Operations, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. Swiss Chalet and Harvey's franchises frequently share locations. Some locations are more akin to fast food restaurants.
Swiss Chalet claims that the restaurant's signature rotisserie chicken dish is based on a Swiss recipe.
The first Swiss Chalet restaurant, at 234 Bloor Street West in Toronto, operated for 52 years. The building featured exposed-beam ceilings in the Swiss chalet style. This store closed in 2006 and was demolished in 2009 to make place for a condominium development.
The stores' points of sale variously include in-store dining rooms, drive-through windows, take-out counters, delivery, and a website for online food ordering. Cara Operations retails Signature Swiss Chalet sauce, gravy, and marinade (as powdered mixes) in Canadian supermarkets.
The Quarter Chicken Dinner, the restaurant's signature dish, comprises a roasted chicken leg or breast with "Chalet Sauce", a bread roll, and a side dish. Swiss Chalet's sides dishes include french fries, baked potatoes, green salad, white rice, coleslaw, and vegetable medley. During the Christmas season, Swiss Chalet sells a modified version of this dinner: the Festive Special's side dishes are stuffing, cranberry relish, and a wrapped chocolate.
For the French-speaking Quebec market, Cara Operations re-branded Swiss Chalet to Chalet Suisse, but later ceded to the market dominance of competing restaurant chains St-Hubert and Scores. There are no Swiss Chalet franchises in Saskatchewan.
In 2008, Air Canada added Swiss Chalet food products to its buy-on-board menu.[1]
[edit] Advertising slogans
- 1980s–1990s: "Always so good for so little."
- Mid-1980s: "Swiss Chalet, okay!"
- Early 2000s: "Life should taste as good as Swiss Chalet."
- 2004: "Food you can feel good about."
- 2006: "Taste it once, love it forever."
- 2008: "Family happens at Swiss Chalet."
- June 2009 - present: "Always so good for so little."
[edit] References
- ^ "Onboard Café." Air Canada. Accessed November 4, 2008.
[edit] External links
- swisschalet.ca, official website
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