Montérégie

Benny&Co.

The Benny family’s journey begins at the end of the 1940s. At the time, spit-roasted chicken (often called “Bar-B-Q”) began to be served in Québec restaurants. Seeing the opportunities presented by this new market, the eight Benny brothers learned the essentials of raising chickens on their father William’s farm. Over the next few years, they left the nest one by one to start their own farms and construct a number of poultry houses.To build on their success in raising chickens, the Benny brothers decided to develop a business together by specializing in activities related to poultry production. The Benny brothers joined forces to build a hatchery and slaughterhouse and launch their own distribution network. Finally, they acquired a mill to supply their own feed. Within a few years, this vertical integration had enabled them to deliver a top-quality product. In the late 1950s, an uncertain poultry market in Québec drove the Benny brothers to become more than poultry producers and distributors. They got together and decided to venture into the restaurant industry. Gilles, the youngest of the eight brothers and a machinist by trade, took on the task of manufacturing an oven to roast the chicken and fine-tuning an exclusive rotisserie technique. They opened their first restaurant in Joliette. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, the Benny brothers opened over 20 restaurants in the main towns and cities of Québec, under different banners. Over the course of the ‘70s and ‘80s, the second generation, including some 20 of the brothers’ children looking to get involved, took over their parents’ restaurants. Leveraging the expertise of their predecessors, the new owners have continually enhanced their efficiency by improving their roasting techniques, ovens and kitchen facilities. They gave it their all and opened some 20 new locations. Today, there are over 60 restaurants operated exclusively by members of the Benny family. In 2006, Jean Benny, son of Gilles (youngest of the eight brothers), created a whole new banner: Benny & Co. The Benny & Co. concept is contemporary and versatile, developed to meet the needs of modern diners who want quick service options and care about healthy eating. The new Benny & Co. restaurants’ warm and family-friendly atmosphere brought a breath of fresh air to the Benny family’s restaurants. Their master roasters’ specialities were still slow roasted rotisserie chicken and tasty ribs, of course. In response to new consumer trends, they began to offer health-conscious options: a healthy menu, soup and salad counter and a choice of non-fried sides. This young, dynamic and contemporary brand image additionally served as a tangible way to create a distinct identity and unify the Benny family, who now owned and operated some 40 rotisserie restaurants across Québec, in a single network. Since 2010, the Benny & Co. chain has seen remarkable growth. The franchise expanded from 12 locations in Québec in 2010 to 24 in 2012, eventually numbering over 60 in 2020. True lovers of rotisserie chicken today can enjoy a meal in a warm family-friendly atmosphere with courteous and attentive service. To this day, the second and third generation of the Benny family are carrying on the tradition by opening new restaurants in Québec and Ontario, to everyone’s delight!