Carrefour de l'Isle Saint-Jean

What Carrefour de l'Isle Saint-Jean does

Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean is a private non-profit francophone community center founded in 1991 and headquartered at 5 Acadian Drive, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. It operates as a cultural and service hub for the Acadian and francophone community of the Charlottetown region, offering an on-site cafeteria, venue rentals (meeting rooms, gymnasium, theater), catering, cultural events, and youth and community development programming. The building is co-tenanted with École François-Buote (a French-language school), the Île Enchantée early childhood centre, and the Dr. J. Edmond Arsenault library, which structurally anchors the Carrefour's family-facing services.

The center's product portfolio is organized around three service lines: (1) a cafeteria and Hot Lunches program serving École François-Buote students, with online ordering and payment via the third-party Hot Lunches On-Line SaaS platform (powered by Easy School Software); (2) a local-food initiative called Savoure ton île, which retails prepared meals in reusable containers alongside products from at least nine PEI producers through in-person and online pre-order pickup; and (3) venue rentals and catering for community events, with ticketing handled through JotForm. Technology use is light and entirely non-proprietary — the public site runs on Wix, and the back-end depends on commodity SaaS tools. There is no in-house technology product, API, or AI capability.

The business model combines small-ticket transaction revenue (meal sales, event tickets, local-producer pre-orders) with one-time facility rental fees and catering contracts, supplemented by what is likely government grant funding (not disclosed in the input) for a registered non-profit delivering official-language and cultural services. Go-to-market is community-led: marketing runs through Instagram (@lecarrefour_isj), Facebook, an email newsletter (Infolettre), community events, and partnerships with the Fédération acadienne de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard (FAOÎPÉ) and the French Consulate. The organization employs approximately 9 staff and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. A major expansion of both the school and community facilities was announced in 2024, following a prior expansion in 2016, indicating sustained demand growth from the local francophone population.

Name

Carrefour de l'Isle Saint-Jean

Legal name

Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean

Website

https://carrefourisj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean is a non-profit francophone community center in Charlottetown, PEI, operating since 1991. It serves the local Acadian and francophone community through a cafeteria, Hot Lunches program for the co-located French school, venue rentals, catering, cultural events, and a local-producer food initiative called Savoure ton île.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Center Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Catering & Events Food Service (EDALADAC), Vending, Kiosk & À La Carte Food Programs (On-Campus Retail) (EDAEAEAI)

Keywords

• Community center services
• Venue rental spaces
• Cafeteria meal service
• Catering services
• Cultural event programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlottetown

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Facility Rentals: Room and hall rental services including meeting rooms (Bayous 1, 2, and 3), gymnasium, and theater spaces with amenities such as free WiFi and sports equipment.
2. Cafeteria and Catering Services: Hot lunch program for École François-Buote students, prepared on-site by kitchen staff. Catering services for events including reunion, reception, and collation menus.
3. Savoure ton île Food Sales: Community food initiative selling prepared meals and local producer products in reusable containers. Orders placed in-person or online for pickup.
4. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from community events such as 'À la bonne franquette' celebration. Tickets sold through JotForm platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean operates a francophone community center offering on-site cafeteria meals, catering services, room/gymnasium/theater rentals, the Savoure ton île community food initiative with local-producer products, the Hot Lunches school meal program for École François-Buote students, and cultural events such as Franco-vendredis and seasonal celebrations for French-speaking residents of Charlottetown, PEI.

Product overview

Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean operates as a community center offering a unified portfolio of services centered on francophone culture, community gathering, and food services. The core offerings include an on-site cafeteria service (Cafétéria) that prepares balanced meals for children and community members, supplemented by the Savoure ton Île initiative which provides community meals and local producer products in reusable containers. Additional revenue streams include room, gymnasium, and theater rentals (Location de salles, Location du Gymnase, Location du Théâtre) and a catering service (Service de traiteur). The cafeteria is integrated with Hot Lunches On-Line, a third-party online platform for École François-Buote school meal ordering and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Savoure ton île: A community project offering healthy and affordable meals prepared with care, served in reusable containers to reduce waste, along with local producer products to support the local economy and encourage sustainable, quality, local eating.

Products and services

• Cafétéria (On-site Cafeteria Service) On-site cafeteria service offering balanced meals prepared by the kitchen team for children's nutritional needs and for community members, served in reusable containers. Operates Monday-Friday 8:30-21:00 and Saturday-Sunday 9:00-13:00 (electronic payment only on weekends). Orders can be placed online via the Hot Lunches platform.
• Savoure ton île (Community Food Initiative) Community food project offering healthy, affordable meals prepared with care and served in reusable containers, alongside a curated selection of local-producer products available for on-site purchase. Designed to support the local economy, promote local know-how, and encourage sustainable, quality, proximity-based eating. Orders placed in-person or online for pickup.
• Location de salles et espaces (Room, Gymnasium and Theater Rentals) Rental of meeting rooms (Bayous 1, 2, and 3), the gymnasium (equipped with sports equipment), and the theater space, all with free WiFi. Suitable for community events, gatherings, meetings, sports activities, performances, presentations, and cultural events. Spaces can be booked for various purposes.
• Service de traiteur (Catering Service) Catering service offering menus for meetings (reunion), receptions, and snacks (collation). Prepared by the on-site kitchen team for events and gatherings hosted at the Carrefour facility.
• Hot Lunches Program for École François-Buote (School Meal Ordering) Online meal ordering program for students of the co-located École François-Buote French-language school. Parents register accounts, reserve weekly meals, and make payments through the Hot Lunches On-Line platform (powered by Easy School Software). Supports French and English languages, accepts cash, cheque, credit card, debit, PayPal, and e-transfer. Weekly reservation deadline is Sunday at noon.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Knead a BrakeminorOthersLocal bakery-café and cycling culture business supplying artisan breads and baked goods to the Savoure ton île initiative.
• Heart Beet OrganicsminorOthersOrganic farm run by Amy Smith and Verena Vena since 2010, supplying vegetables and fermented products (kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha) to Savoure ton île.
• Fromagerie PEIminorOthersArtisan cheese producer founded in 2016 by Mathieu and Albert, producing Squeak-ies cheese curds. Supplies artisanal cheese to Savoure ton île.
• Wild Legacy FarmminorOthersFamily farm practicing regenerative agriculture and silvopasture, raising Mangalitsa pigs and Belted Galloway cattle. Supplies heritage meats to Savoure ton île.
• Pane & Self LoveminorOthersBaker duo Vinnie and Lilie producing naturally fermented sourdough breads, supplying to Savoure ton île since 2021.
• Island Crest MapleminorOthersFamily-run maple syrup producer at Stanchel, PEI, producing pure maple syrup, honey, and lumber. Supplies syrup to Savoure ton île.
• Compton's Farm MarketminorOthersFamily farm operating since 1957 in Summerside, growing strawberries, sweet corn, vegetables, pumpkins, wheat, and straw. Supplies fresh produce to Savoure ton île.
• Choco GourmetminorOthersFamily business producing allergen-free (nut, peanut, dairy-free) chocolates. Supplies specialty chocolates to Savoure ton île.
• Souris SauceminorOthersArtisan sauce and preserves producer founded in 2019 by Jim and Josée at Souris West. Produces handmade sauces using simple, pesticide-free ingredients for Savoure ton île.
• FAOÎPÉ (Fédération acadienne de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for community events. Co-hosting 'Rendez-vous Acadie 50+ en région de Charlottetown' activities including 'Soleil, musique et bonne humeur!' outdoor event.
• Timothy's World CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee shop in downtown Charlottetown hosting Franco-vendredis weekly gatherings every Friday 10h-12h for French conversation exchange.
• French Consul (Consul de France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorary guest at 'À la bonne franquette' celebration event, representing French cultural ties to the community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre communautaire francophone d'Halton-Wentworth (Hamilton): Small francophone community center offering cultural activities and gathering space for French-speaking residents in the Hamilton area. Operates on a similar scale and mandate to Carrefour, although it does not run an on-site cafeteria.
• La Maison de la Francophonie d'Ottawa: Francophone community hub in Ottawa offering event space, cultural programming, and services to the local French-speaking community. Comparable as another city-level francophone community hub with mixed programming and venue-rental model.
• Centre francophone de Toronto: Francophone community center in a Canadian city that combines cultural programming, venue rentals, and community services for French-speaking residents. Operates as the same model of a non-profit community hub serving a francophone constituency, though at a much larger urban scale.
• Carrefour communautaire francophone de Moncton: Acadian/francophone community center in Moncton providing gathering space, cultural programming, and community services for the local francophone population. Closest structural match: a community hub with mixed cultural and service programming for a French-speaking audience in an Atlantic Canadian city.

Regional players

• Société Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin: PEI's principal Acadian and francophone umbrella organization serving the same Island-wide French-speaking community. Directly comparable because it operates as a community-anchoring non-profit for the same demographic, even though it does not run a cafeteria or school-meal program.
• Fédération acadienne de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard (FAOÎPÉ): Acadian federation of PEI and a current strategic partner of Carrefour. Comparable as a regional francophone umbrella body serving the same Island community, though primarily an advocacy and federation body rather than a facility operator.

Others

• Conseil scolaire francophone de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard (CSLFPE): Francophone school authority that oversees École François-Buote, the school co-located with Carrefour. Comparable as the institutional counterpart that drives the hot lunch customer base, although it is a school operator rather than a community-center operator.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of PEI / Charlottetown YMCA: Multi-purpose community center in Charlottetown offering gymnasium and meeting-space rentals, youth programming, and food-service-adjacent community activities. Comparable as a broad community-center incumbent but without the francophone cultural mandate or on-site cafeteria.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Carrefourdelislesaintjean
• Instagraminstagram.com/lecarrefour_isj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carrefourisj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Carrefour de l'Isle Saint-Jean