Installed on Wellington Nord Street in the old La Puta Dama restaurant, the Resto-Cantine No! Hotdoguerie & Struck milks has been noticed since its opening in June.
A new storefront, a vintage decor, vinyls all over the walls, a rotating table near the box and 17 hot dogs named with well-known song titles.
If the possibilities of places to eat a hamburger are numerous in Sherbrooke, Aidan Wood estimated that the Hot-Dog did not benefit from this same accessibility.
The objective: democratize the Hot-Dog in Sherbrooke and get it out of large chains like Valentine or small park canteens.
“In front of us, there is the snack, which also makes hot dogs, but especially Poutines, which are very good. We are completing well. I found that the room was located in a vibrant place with all these festivals, such as the Sherblues. There are not often restaurants that have hot dogs as a specialty, and especially not as many kinds, ”explains the owner, insisting on speaking in French despite his marked accent.
“Otherwise, I liked the concept of the city center community,” he continues. All traders and restaurateurs were very kind to me when we arrived. I do not regret my choice. The future promises to be beautiful, with the development of the city center, like the Well southern district. ”
A story of love and family
The family spirit reigns at 105, Wellington North.
“It was love, which led me to Sherbrooke. We decided to come back here, to our family. I was a cook for more than ten years in Ontario and it’s my first restaurant, ”says Aidan Wood.
His spouse Manon Houle owned La Vitrine Pâtisserie in Sherbrooke from 2013 to 2020 and created birthday cakes, especially for celebrities like Louise Penny and Bill Clinton. Today columnist on Radio-Canada Estrie radio, she also takes care of the famous butter caramel no! in addition to getting involved in the company.
“Our children help us in this adventure, like other members of our family,” explains the restaurateur. We mainly benefit from the help of the youngest, including the nephews of the family. We all have our favorite hot dog, but mine is Philippe Katerine, with cheese and bacon macaroni. All the names of our hot dogs are linked to music. The best seller is the overkill with the BBQ sauce in Guinness. ”
The presence of all these young teenagers behind the counter also explains the ice cream bar and struck milks, which are added to the offer on the northern portion of the Wellington.
The box of vinyl records stands out too. Music from the 70s, 80s or 90s, above all.
“The musical concept of the Hotdoguerie interested me a lot, as the idea of offering all these possible fillings. The principle of the dairy bar in the city center also liked it and it gives us one more sale for our caramel, which is very in demand. ”