St-Hubert Adjusts Menu Pricing to Attract Customers Amid Rising Costs

Amid rising costs impacting consumers, many are steering away from dining out, with restaurant chains such as St-Hubert feeling the effects. In response, St-Hubert has embarked on a strategy to allure customers back to its dining halls by freezing the prices of main courses and lowering those of salads, soups, and desserts. This measure aims to enhance the dining experience beyond traditional mainstay orders like quarter chicken breasts with fries.

“We hear the concerns,” acknowledged Richard Scofield, the President of Groupe St-Hubert, in an interview with La Presse. “The restaurant business has been challenging for several years, and we’re not an exception,” he added. Though he declined to disclose exact figures, Mr. Scofield conceded that the chain’s dining room traffic has seen a “double-digit” decline. Furthermore, the rise of delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash has intensified competition in food delivery.

Faced with these challenges, St-Hubert’s leadership team determined that decisive action was necessary. They embarked on what Mr. Scofield described as one of the “biggest menu shifts in the history of St-Hubert.” Amid economic pressures like shrinkflation, where product sizes decrease while prices remain steady, Mr. Scofield asserts that reducing portion sizes was not considered.

In re-evaluating their approach, the team took a thorough examination of the menu, item by item. “We realized that purchases of appetizers and desserts had significantly decreased,” stated Scofield, noting that customers appeared to be limiting their extras.

With these menu adjustments, St-Hubert hopes to draw more customers. “We are realistic,” said Scofield. “We won’t return to the traffic levels from 20 years ago.” According to Scofield, each Quebecer used to dine at St-Hubert four to five times annually, but with more dining choices available, they now visit around two to three times per year.

Since October 8, patrons of the rotisserie chain have been introduced to the revised menu, retaining classics like chicken legs and breasts. The menu, featuring a slightly modernized logo, maintains stable pricing for main dishes such as club sandwiches and crispy chicken breast platters.

To entice more comprehensive dining experiences, St-Hubert has reduced prices for items “around the plate,” including beverages, alcohol, desserts, and appetizers, by approximately 11%. Additionally, the lunchtime menu now offers four new dishes starting at $12.

“We must remain accessible,” emphasized Scofield, explaining the menu changes. He noted that with the adjustments, a family of four could dine on a Tuesday evening, including a bottle of wine, for under $70 at St-Hubert.

Nevertheless, St-Hubert’s challenge lies in its identity as a multi-faceted restaurant. “We are the family restaurant, the spot for Thursday evening gatherings, the venue for office parties, and the go-to for delivery,” remarked Scofield. He acknowledged the difficulty in meeting all these expectations comprehensively.

Groupe St-Hubert at a Glance

Foundation: 1951
President: Richard Scofield
Number of Restaurants: 124 (Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick)
Headquarters: Boisbriand
Total Employees: over 6000