Quebec’s most beloved poutine chain is finally opening a Montreal location

If you’ve ever made the drive to Quebec City and come back raving about the poutine, you already know Ashton. And if you’ve been waiting for a location closer to home, the wait is almost over.

Ashton, the beloved Quebec City fast-food chain, is officially coming to Montreal this summer. The brand confirmed the news on social media Thursday morning: “This summer, our very first franchise branch on the island of Montreal will open its doors in the restaurant area of Complexe Desjardins.”

The first Montreal location will be inside the food court at Complexe Desjardins, right in the heart of downtown. The chain also promises online ordering and delivery, the latter even outside of Complexe Desjardins’ regular hours.

For Montrealers who’ve never made the pilgrimage to one of the chain’s locations, Ashton has been a fixture in the provincial capital since 1969, when founder Ashton Leblond opened the first location. The chain now has more than 20 locations in the Quebec City region and has been in expansion mode since Emilie Adam and Jean-Christophe Lirette took over in 2022 and launched a franchise model. A Mirabel location opened last October, and the Montreal debut is the next step.

The new restaurant’s menu will include all the classics the chain is known for: poutines, burgers and milkshakes. One fun bonus for Montrealers to know about is Ashton’s famous weather discount. Every January, the chain offers a percentage off poutine that matches the temperature outside. Minus 25? You get 25% off. It’s a gimmick, but it’s a good one.

Ashton hasn’t announced an exact opening date beyond “this summer,” so stay tuned for more details as they come.

This story was adapted from the article “Le populaire fast-food Ashton débarque ENFIN à Montréal et c’est pour bientôt”” which was originally published on Narcity Quebec.