Since June 2019, the restaurant has delighted its ever-growing clientele. Even the pandemic couldn't dampen their enthusiasm and passion. Then the restaurateurs saved their neighbour across the street from closing: the gourmet grocery store Mel&Lau, in the lower part of Sept-Îles, near the marina and the port.
Starting, growing, taking over, saving, and continuing the operation of two food businesses in five years, the last one in just a few months, is almost magical. Or madness, some might say! All of this, however, provides year-round employment for over 35 people.
Le Bavard et l'Ivrogne, Pierre-Olivier Simard (right) and Billy Tanguay-Labrie (left), met on a school bus many years ago. It was during a particularly boozy evening that the idea for their own restaurant came to them. Billy's (l'Ivrogne) knowledge of Italian cuisine, acquired at the ITHQ and in Italy, combined with the social skills and loquacity of Pierre-Olivier (le Bavard), more of a telecom technician than a restaurateur, was exactly what was needed to establish such a unique place.
The two owners have a simple goal: homemade food, mostly local products, portions to suit all appetites, all in an atmosphere that feels like home. The menu offers a variety of original, flavourful, and unique dishes, from Tuesday to Saturday.
Groups can enjoy a special tasting menu to make the most of the experience. It offers two courses plus a dessert with a variety of choices.
Over the years, through adventures, projects, and various ventures, the Bavard & l'Ivrogne team quickly became a family. "A wonderful family, now with around thirty members," adds Pierre-Olivier. From the start, the two owners have been committed to creating a pleasant, fun-filled work environment where everyone feels at home.
"Offering competitive salaries and good working conditions, providing discounts on store products and promoting available jobs to international students: that's our approach to human resources. We manage to retain our employees and we manage to develop new ones. We have people who are pillars that we can assign almost anywhere, who stay with us and with whom we can grow," Billy Tanguay explained in a recent interview.
A new "baby" to grow.
Furthermore, in February 2023, the owner of Marché MelLau announced that she had to close down due to an excessive workload caused by a staff shortage. It was the only business in Sept-Îles that offered prepared meals to go and doubled as a gourmet grocery store. "Continuing the market's operations under the name Mel&Lau helps to strengthen the city's food offerings," asserts Pierre-Olivier.
"This is a project we've cherished for a long time," says Billy Tanguay. "We decided we wanted to try and keep it alive, to make it a bit of a phoenix-like project. The city needs this kind of business," he emphasizes. Not only do they continue to offer prepared foods made according to the recipes of Le Bavard & l'Ivrogne, but they also offer breads and pastries, viennoiseries, salads, and other specialties, including vegan, meat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. As for the gourmet grocery items, the shelves are replenished a little more each week.
Each week, a different daily menu is offered, available for dine-in or takeout. In addition, products from Fumeur en Nord, which also announced its closure last April, are now available at Mel&Lau.
Le Bavard & L'Ivrogne
lebavardetlivrogne.ca
14, rue Père Divet
Sept-Îles (QC) G4R 2X1
(418) 962-4011
Mel&Lau
facebook.com/MarcheMelLau