What kind of person goes from training as a biologist to catering to movie crews to finally opening a restaurant? Dominique Fournier, for one: upon his 1991 arrival in Quebec, change was in order. “I started by opening a small vegetarian snack bar in Rimouski. Then I moved to Montreal a few years later, and started Patati Patata, which is now a Boulevard Saint-Laurent institution,” he recalls. In 1998, Dominique left “Patati” to concentrate on a new concept, Arrêt de bus Café-Bistro. “In the beginning, Arrêt de bus was dedicated to the film industry; I had a bus from which I would cook for movie productions, catering equally to teamsters, crew members and actors. That was in 1998, and it took up all of my time for a while.”
A decade-and-some later, in 2011, Dominique moved out of the bus and into a conventional space in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, on Sainte-Catherine Street East. “I wanted a real physical space where I could work on ambiance and offer my clientele a warm, welcoming space that would reflect who I am. I like the name, so I kept it, and nowadays, Arrêt de bus combines catering with a full-service café-bistro; the best of both worlds!"