Swiss Chalet

This article is about the restaurant chain; for the Alpine building see Chalet.

For the architectural style see Swiss chalet style

Swiss Chalet

Type	Subsidiary
Founded	Toronto, Ontario
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Industry	Restaurants (casual dining)
Products	Food (including chicken, salads, french fries)
Parent	Cara Operations Limited
Website	swisschalet.ca

Swiss Chalet is a chain of Canadian family restaurants originally founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. There are presently over 200 restaurants in Canada and the United States, as of 2008. It is a division of Cara Operations, which also owns the hamburger chain Harvey's; the two chains frequently share locations. The name Swiss Chalet originates from the design of its original restaurants, which featured exposed beam architecture, resembling a chalet one might find in the Swiss Alps.

The first location was at 234 Bloor Street West in Toronto and was in operation for 52 years. On September 10, 2006, this location permanently closed due to the construction of the One Bedford condominium development and finally torn down in April 2009.

Swiss Chalet is best known for rotisserie chicken and smoked barbecue ribs, which are traditionally served with such side dishes as french fries, baked potatoes, salads, rice, and vegetables. Chicken dishes are also served with Chalet Sauce, a dipping sauce that is somewhat similar to barbecue sauce gravy. Many locations have separate dining and take-out entrances. Sit-down, drive-through, take-out, and delivery services are available. In certain parts of Canada, online ordering is available. "Signature Swiss Chalet" sauce, gravy, and marinade is available as a powdered mix in Canadian supermarkets.

A popular item is its Quarter Chicken Dinner which features a leg or breast quarter piece of chicken with dipping sauce, a roll and a side dish. During the Christmas season, a modified version of this dinner is sold as the Festive Special, with stuffing, cranberries, and a chocolate product, originally a Toblerone bar but replaced by Lindt products, currently Lindor truffles, in the late 1990s. Swiss Chalet has also now expanded its menu to include stir fry, chicken spring rolls, and pierogies.

Major plans for expansion into the United States have been in discussion, with several 100 new locations opening throughout Canada and the United States in the near future. The Swiss Chalet official website lists only two U.S. locations, both in the Buffalo, New York area. However, the U.S.-based Boston Market chain, which itself briefly attempted a Canadian expansion, has a similar menu.

A Swiss Chalet restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (possibly now closed). Most newer locations have a similar appearance.

Previously present in the province of Quebec as "Chalet Suisse," the chain has ceded that market to St-Hubert and Scores, while St-Hubert itself has now largely retreated from the rest of Canada, although Scores has expanded into Ontario recently. Manitoba & Saskatchewan don't have Swiss Chalet restaurants.

As of 2008, Swiss Chalet-branded items appear on Air Canada buy on board menus.^[1]

Advertising slogans

Swiss Chalet's first advert. Promoting their first store location on Bloor Street in Toronto c. 1950s

• 1980s–1990s: "Always so good for so little."
• 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: "Always so good for so little."

In popular culture

On the 1998 song, "One Week" by Toronto rock band Barenaked Ladies, the Quebecois title Chalet Suisse is used instead of the English Swiss Chalet name. The family restaurant chain was also mentioned briefly during a "bowling scene" in the 2003 film Owning Mahowny starring Philip Seymour Hoffman.

References

External links

• Official website