St-Hubert sale flares frenzy of rotisserie-related tweets
Swiss Chalet owners Cara buying iconic Quebec chicken chain for $537M
News that Quebec's iconic rotisserie chicken chain, St-Hubert, is being sold to the company that owns Swiss Chalet has sparked a frenzy of reaction online.
Cara made the announcement Thursday morning, saying it had struck a $537 million deal to scoop up the 120 St-Hubert restaurants, as well as two food manufacturing plants, two distribution centres and the company's real estate portfolio.
- Swiss Chalet owners Cara buying St-Hubert for $537M
- St-Hubert sale sparks reaction from Quebec politicians
The result is a massive chicken conglomerate, run by Cara, which also own Harvey's, Kelsey's, East Side Mario's and New York Fires.
Soon after Cara crowed, St-Hubert started trending across the country on Twitter, prompting response from politicians, diehard St-Hubert fans and chicken enthusiasts in general.
The news hit some of the Twittersphere hard.
Quebecers were quick to point out their skepticism about the sale.
This is the most stunning move between rivals since the Sens traded for Dion Phaneuf. <a href="https://t.co/Vptyw9TZ4o">https://t.co/Vptyw9TZ4o</a>
—@ian_mendesNO THEY ARE GOING TO RUIN ST-HUBERT
—@politicspeoniesIt's been a terrible year, but the news that Swiss Chalet is buying St. Hubert might just finish me off.<br><br>Farewell, cruel world...
—@TaoofStiebIt even inspired some swiftly created editorial cartoons.
Terry Mosher. the political cartoonist who draws under the pen name Aislin for the Montreal Gazette, sketched up this illustration when he read about the deal Thursday morning.
Not a Gazette cartoon. Just a reaction to a news item I just read… <a href="https://t.co/4voC2IaCwI">pic.twitter.com/4voC2IaCwI</a>
—@TerryMosher1There were a few jabs at the quality of St-Hubert.
Perhaps under new management, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StHubert?src=hash">#StHubert</a> might actually start cooking their chickens. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/itsalive?src=hash">#itsalive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SwissChalet?src=hash">#SwissChalet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dontmesswiththesaucetho?src=hash">#dontmesswiththesaucetho</a>
—@richdeschampsAll this talk about St-Hubert and Chicken makes me realize that there arent enough people in Quebec who realize St-Hubert is awful.
—@garytalmeidaI hope this is the end of St-Hubert passing off half a hamburger bun as a dinner roll. <a href="https://t.co/Snq1Y9B11G">https://t.co/Snq1Y9B11G</a>
—@kandisebrownThat cooked up a spirited debate over which chain had the better sauce.
St-Hubert is known for its gravy sauce — it is sold in grocery stores and apparently also with boxed wine — but Swiss Chalet has its famed Chalet Sauce.
Several Twitter users found themselves embroiled in a war of the sauces.
<a href="https://twitter.com/emilydawnlove">@emilydawnlove</a> I always thought the St. Hubert sauce was better than Swiss Chalet’s.
—@RusselProuse34<a href="https://twitter.com/SwissChaletCA">@SwissChaletCA</a> please don't mess with the sauce at St Hubert, it's nice to have a choice when you want one.
—@pjholowatenkoOkay. Just don't mess the <a href="https://twitter.com/sthubert">@sthubert</a> sauce. Leave the sauce alone. Please. <a href="https://t.co/DoEBsryxdW">https://t.co/DoEBsryxdW</a>
—@romillakarnick<a href="https://twitter.com/Newmie52">@Newmie52</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DanDelmar">@DanDelmar</a> St-Hubert sauce is a thing of beauty. I drink it straight from the container!
—@lesleychestrmanOthers didn't really see the difference.
Plot Twist: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StHubert?src=hash">#StHubert</a> was always Swiss Chalet.
—@BrockPapersThe deal prompted hopes that St-Hubert would expand to other parts of the country.
Currently, there are a handful of St-Hubert locations outside of Quebec, including some in the Ottawa-area, one in Cornwall, Ont. and a few in New Brunswick.
. <a href="https://twitter.com/sthubert">@sthubert</a> Please 🙏🏾 come to Toronto Ps: Did I tell you that each trip to Montreal, we bring back chicken/SAUCE for the kids?
—@karimacatherineAll I want to know is whether this means I'll get St Hubert in Alberta soon. Can somebody tell me that?
—@andrew_leachWith this new acquisition, does that mean <a href="https://twitter.com/sthubert">@sthubert</a> is coming to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toronto?src=hash">#Toronto</a> and the rest of Canada? *crosses fingers*
—@JennAndTheCityEven St-Hubert's Twitter account helped stoke the wishful expansion thoughts.
<a href="https://twitter.com/NikiKerimova">@NikiKerimova</a> This transaction will allow us to explore the possibility of developing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StHubert?src=hash">#StHubert</a> outside of Quebec.
—@sthubertIt's a bizarre obsession that this Twitter user summed up perfectly.
I had no idea Canadians felt so strongly about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StHubert?src=hash">#StHubert</a> sauce. Along with the ketchup thing, I think we have a condiment fixation.
—@JakeAReid