My First Café: Chez Cheval

We knew about the project Patricia Paquin and Louis-François Marcotte were cherishing long before Chez Cheval opened its doors to the public in September 2019. This was an idea that was in the works for several months, a wonderful project that we helped with along every step of the way.

Once Upon a Time...

There was a couple with many projects (magazine, books, restaurants, TV shows, moving, etc.), who dreamed of taking on a new challenge: opening a café! But it was to be a café like no other. This would be a place where people on the autism spectrum could shine and show everyone that they belong, that they are human beings who are as fragile as they are strong, people who are gifted with a keen intelligence and capable of great things! Patricia obviously wanted her son, Benjamin, who is autistic, to be a part of the project. And now both goals have become a reality!

From a Dream to Reality: The Steps Towards a First Café

The Perfect Spot

After moving to Saint-Jean-Baptiste, on the South Shore of Montreal, and committing to the idea of opening a café, Patricia and Louis-François had to find the ideal location. Since they wanted to be closely involved and be there almost daily, which is very natural for those opening a café, Saint-Hilaire seemed like the perfect place, a strategic location between the couple's new house and Montreal.

The Name

There was no need for us to look far for a descriptive and original name for their coffee!

Our new coffee will be named ‘Chez Cheval’ in honor of Guillaume Cheval, who was the mayor of Saint-Hilaire in 1867. It’s also a wink to our new patrons and the idea of arriving to the ‘idiot’s dinner’ on horseback, if you know the story 😂.

As for the logo, Patricia's son designed it himself!

The Concept

This is a unique café that focuses on the social integration of young autistic adults as their key mission. Not only are the profits from the sale of the coffee bags donated to the Fondation de l’autisme Québec, but we also donate $5 to this foundation for every kilo of coffee sold at Chez Cheval. It was important to us that we make a meaningful gesture, beyond supporting Patricia and Louis-François in the realization of their project through offering guidance, services, and training (like Espresso 101 and personalized training). As Patricia said so well (while quoting Mahatma Gandhi) on On change d’air:

"You have to be the change that what you want to see in the world."

Every little bit helps, and we wanted to do more to bring about this change, which is the opportunity to help people who are different integrate and improve their quality of life!

The Coffee Selection

It is with the Rocket Espresso Boxer 2 that the lovely employees at Chez Cheval serve their coffee drinks using our flagship espresso blend, the Cremone!

The Opening of Chez Cheval, a Dream Finally Realized

If you want to enjoy the best Italian espresso in Saint-Hilaire and meet new people (some of who belong to ‘Quebec’s star system’, sure, but here we’re referring to the wonderful employees) in a warm, revitalizing, and pleasant environment, then Chez Cheval is the place to go.

Patricia and Louis-François have accomplished a big dream and, even if this couple starts a new project before the first one is finished, this one stands alone. We hope that in addition to continued success, this project will open the door for similar projects in the future.