La Bête à Pain

What La Bête à Pain does

La Bête à Pain is a privately held, founder-owned bakery-restaurant group headquartered in Montreal, Québec, founded in 2011 by chefs Marc-André Royal, Annick Dufresne, and Chantal Gervais. The company operates four physical locations — Ahuntsic (the original flagship), Griffintown, Chabanel (opened April 2026), and Laval (opened 2019) — combining on-site artisan bakery, viennoiserie, pâtisserie, fine grocery, and full-service restaurant/bistro operations under a single integrated retail concept. Core products include artisan breads baked daily with natural sourdough levain and stone-milled flour from Moulin de Charlevoix, hand-laminated butter viennoiseries (croissants, chocolatines, brioches), French pastries, and seasonal restaurant menus for breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch.

The underlying production technology rests on traditional French artisan baking methods: natural leaven fermentation for longer fermentation cycles, stone-ground flour from Quebec biological wheat milled on historic French flint millstones, and traditional butter lamination (tourage) for viennoiserie. The Chabanel location additionally houses a production kitchen and visible atelier. Distribution relies on physical retail at all four sites, online ordering via the Ueat platform for pickup and delivery, TouchBistro-powered reservations at Laval, and a B2B wholesale channel delivering fresh artisan bread daily to restaurants, cafés, and businesses across Greater Montreal through direct account-managed relationships. Catering serves private and corporate events up to 60 standing / 35 seated.

The revenue model is multi-stream: consumer retail (DTC walk-ins plus online), B2B wholesale bread supply, and catering/event services — all priced on a per-unit, pay-as-you-go basis at mid-premium price points (C$5-C$30 per menu item). The company employs over 120 people, is privately held by its three co-founders with no disclosed external funding rounds, and operates exclusively in the Québec market with no international footprint. The affiliated Le St-Urbain restaurant, controlled by the same founders, has received Michelin mentions in 2025 and 2026, reinforcing the parent brand's culinary credibility.

Name

La Bête à Pain

Legal name

La Bête à Pain

Website

https://labeteapain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Bête à Pain is a privately held Montreal-based bakery-restaurant group founded in 2011, operating four locations across Montreal and Laval serving artisan breads, viennoiseries, pastries, full-service bistro fare, B2B wholesale supply, and catering to retail consumers, restaurants, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Bakery & Bistro Services

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Commercial Bakeries (311812), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patisseries & Viennoiserie (French-Style) (THAFAFAB), Bread & Rolls Wholesale (AFAIAFAA), Bread & Rolls Manufacturing (AFAKAAAA)

Keywords

• Artisan bakery products
• French viennoiserie pastries
• Bakery bistro services
• Wholesale bread supply
• Corporate event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal, Québec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Bakery & Restaurant Sales: On-site dining and retail sales of artisan bread, pastries, pastries, and fine groceries across 4 locations
2. B2B Wholesale Bread Supply: Daily fresh artisan bread supply to restaurants, cafes, and businesses. Direct relationship without intermediaries, with morning delivery
3. Catering & Events: Private and corporate catering services for weddings, anniversaries, corporate events, receptions. Up to 60 standing or 35 seated capacity for on-site events at their locations
4. Online Ordering (Ueat): Online orders for pickup and delivery processed through third-party platform Ueat

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

La Bête à Pain operates an integrated bakery-restaurant model across four Montréal and Laval locations (Ahuntsic, Griffintown, Chabanel, Laval), producing and selling fresh artisan breads baked daily on-site with stone-milled flour and natural sourdough levain, hand-laminated viennoiseries, French pastries, and full bistro/table-service meals for breakfast, lunch, and brunch. The company also runs a B2B wholesale bread supply program with daily morning delivery to restaurants and cafés, a fine grocery section, and private and corporate catering services.

Product overview

La Bête à Pain is a Montréal and Laval-based bakery-restaurant group founded in 2011 by Marc-André Royal, Annick Dufresne, and Chantal Gervais. The company operates four locations (Ahuntsic, Griffintown, Chabanel, and Laval) offering an integrated model combining on-site artisanal bakery, Viennoiseries, pâtisserie, fine grocery, and table-service restaurants. Core products include fresh breads baked daily with stone-milled flour and natural sourdough levain, hand-laminated butter Viennoiseries (croissants, chocolatines, brioches), and French pastries. Three locations (Chabanel, Griffintown, Laval) feature full restaurant/bistro service with breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch menus. Supporting offerings include a fine grocery section, B2B wholesale bread supply for restaurants and businesses, and catering for private and corporate events. A notable innovation is 'La Bête ne laisse pas de miettes,' a craft beer brewed from surplus bread in partnership with local microbrewery Silo. Online ordering is available via Ueat, and table reservations at the Laval location via TouchBistro. The company employs over 120 people and is recognized with two Michelin mentions for the affiliated Restaurant Le St-Urbain (2025 and 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisan Bakery Products (Pains) Artisanal breads baked fresh daily on-site at all four locations, including baguettes, bâtard blanc, multigrain, whole wheat sourdough, and specialty loaves such as Kamut, spelt, and buckwheat. Made with stone-milled flour from Moulin de Charlevoix and natural sourdough levain.
• Viennoiseries Hand-folded buttery viennoiseries made using traditional lamination (tourage) technique with dozens of layers of butter and dough. Includes croissants, chocolatines, almond chocolatines, brioches, apple turnovers, Danish pastries, muffins, scones, madeleines, brownies, canelés, financiers, and chocolate twists.
• Pâtisserie Artisanal French pastries including tarts, cakes, and seasonal desserts crafted daily on-site. Includes financiers (lemon/pistachio), canelés, brownies, madeleines, and other French classics.
• Restaurant / Bistro Services Full table-service restaurant at Chabanel, Griffintown, and Laval locations. Offers breakfast, lunch, and brunch menus featuring seasonal market-driven dishes, sandwiches, and hearty bistro fare. Griffintown and Chabanel serve breakfast 7 days a week from 9h–15h; Laval serves weekday breakfast and lunch, plus weekend brunch.
• Fine Grocery (Épicerie fine) Upscale grocery section at all locations offering charcuteries, artisanal cheeses, house-made condiments, local preserves, crackers, specialty coffee, honey, wines, ciders, and local beers.
• B2B / Wholesale Bread Supply

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 locations across Montreal and Laval serving their respective neighborhoods
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UeatcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party online ordering platform (ueat.io) handling orders, payment, and delivery/pickup. Customers are redirected to Ueat when clicking 'Commander en ligne'. Ueat collects and processes all transaction data including delivery address, payment information, and order details.
• TouchBistrocoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party table reservation platform (tbdine.com) for the Laval bistro location. Collects reservation data including date, time, and number of guests.
• Silo (Microbrasserie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal-based microbrewery partnership to transform unsold bread into artisan beer. Created 'La Bête ne laisse pas de miettes' - a golden ale at 5% alcohol with slightly bready taste, fine bitterness, and fruity note. Beer available for sale at La Bête à Pain locations and at Silo.
• Moulin de CharlevoixcoreOthersSupplier of stone-milled flour from Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec. Mill located in the old Remy mill (1825), using flint millstones from La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, France. Provides organic wheat stone-milled for superior flavor and nutrient preservation. La Bête à Pain also sells this flour in-store for home baking.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• St-Viateur Bagel Shop: Iconic Montreal bakery with multiple locations specializing in hand-rolled bagels. Comparable as a Quebec-based specialty bakery with strong tourist and local brand recognition, though focused on bagels rather than French artisan breads.
• Toqué!: High-end Montreal restaurant led by Chef Normand Laprise. Comparable on Quebec fine-dining culinary pedigree and Michelin-adjacent positioning, though focused on restaurant rather than bakery; relevant for B2B catering benchmark.
• Le Marlow Restaurant & Biergarten: Montreal farm-to-table restaurant with focus on local sourcing and craft partnerships. Comparable on Quebec culinary scene positioning and local ingredient storytelling, though different format (no bakery).

Direct peers

• Mamie Clafoutis: Montreal-based artisanal bakery and viennoiserie specialist with multiple locations. Comparable on French-style artisan baking, viennoiserie focus, and Montreal footprint; smaller scale but similar premium positioning.
• Au Pain Doré: Montreal-based artisanal bakery chain with multiple neighborhood locations offering breads, viennoiserie, and casual café service. Direct comparable on multi-location neighborhood bakery model in Montreal market.
• Le Bilboquet: Quebec bakery-restaurant chain with multiple locations, offering artisan breads, viennoiserie, sandwiches, soups, and full restaurant service. Directly comparable to La Bête à Pain's integrated bakery+bistro format and Quebec regional footprint.
• Le Saint-Urbain: Restaurant owned by the same three co-founders (Marc-André Royal, Annick Dufresne, Chantal Gervais) in Montreal's Plateau. Michelin-mentioned in 2025 and 2026. Sister concept to La Bête à Pain sharing the same culinary team and brand DNA—most directly comparable on talent and quality positioning.
• Café Régence: Montreal bakery and Viennoiserie specialist offering French pastries, breads, and casual café seating. Comparable on French-style artisan baking with Viennoiserie emphasis in the Montreal market.
• Première Moisson: Québec-based artisanal bakery and pastry chain with ~30 retail locations across Quebec and Ontario. Direct comparable on multi-location bakery model with on-site baking, viennoiserie, breads, and integrated B2B/wholesale. Operates at a similar premium-but-broader-market positioning.
• Maison du Pain: Quebec bakery-restaurant chain offering artisan breads, viennoiserie, and table-service breakfast/lunch. Comparable on integrated bakery+bistro model across multiple Quebec locations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-b%C3%AAte-a-pain

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Bête à Pain