Groupe Valentine Inc.

Groupe Valentine Inc.

A former Valentine location at an office building in Quebec City.
Company type	Wholly owned subsidiary
Industry	Restaurants
Founded	1979; 45 years ago (1979) in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
Founder	Jean-Pierre Robin
Headquarters	Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
Number of locations	95
Area served	Quebec
Key people	Jean-Pierre Robin, President
Products	Fast food
Revenue	$29 million^[1]
Parent	MTY Food Group (2010–present)
Website	valentine.ca

Valentine is a Canadian chain of over 100 privately owned restaurant franchises operating in the province of Quebec, Canada. In September 2010 it became a subsidiary of MTY Food Group which purchased the brand rights for $9.3 million.^[2]

History

The first restaurant opened in 1979 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. A few years later, its founder, Jean-Pierre Robin, opened a second restaurant in Saint-Hyacinthe in order to meet the demand for its "famous hot-dogs". The chain's success increased and reached a turning point: the brothers opted for franchising as the company's mode of functioning for its future restaurants. As time passed, more franchises were sold and restaurants open throughout Quebec.^[3] During the 1990s, the chain underwent a major renewal plan in which the restaurants' design changed along with the company's colours.

The company's fare is typical Canadian fast food, such as burgers, fries, sandwiches and poutine.^[4]^[5] The company employs humour in its advertising.^[6] It offers an app that records footsteps. After 10,000 steps, the user is eligible for a poutine.^[7]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valentine.

^ "MTY to Acquire 95-Unit Groupe Valentine". 2010-08-17.
^ MTY Food Group tightens grip on Quebec with Groupe Valentine purchase August 16, 2010^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Notre histoire | Valentine.ca |". Archived from the original on 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
^ Van Praet, Nicolas (August 17, 2010). "MTY adds to Quebec fast-food holdings". National Post. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
^ "Menu | Hot dogs". Valentine.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
^ "Sausages "raised freely" at Valentine's" (in French). Infopresse. March 30, 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
^ HALLÉ, Shanny (March 10, 2017). "Walk 10,000 steps for a poutine!" (in French). Le Journal de Québec. Retrieved 6 November 2017.