Le Madrid

Le Madrid was a Quebec restaurant and roadside attraction located at exit 202 of Autoroute 20 in Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, near Drummondville, roughly halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. First built in 1956 as the Moulin Rouge, it was rebuilt in a Spanish style and renamed Le Madrid in 1967 after a fire. Under owner Richard Arel, who bought the struggling business in 1987, it became famous for its extravagant, kitsch decor — including giant monster trucks and fiberglass dinosaurs — and for its family-restaurant menu of soups, sandwiches, burgers, roast chicken, and poutine. At its peak it drew an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 visitors a year and hosted Quebec celebrities and politicians. The Arel family sold Le Madrid to a group of Quebec real-estate promoters in 2011; the building was demolished in September 2011 and replaced by a modern rest stop called Madrid 2.0, inaugurated in June 2012.

Le Madrid began as the Moulin Rouge, a restaurant built in 1956 on land adjacent to the Nicolet River in Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, Quebec. It was expanded three years later with a dance hall, and in 1960 it received its own exit from the Trans-Canada Highway then being built between Montreal and Quebec City on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. In 1967 the Moulin Rouge was destroyed by a violent fire. It was rebuilt in concrete in a Spanish style — the owner at the time was particularly fond of Spain — and renamed Le Madrid. The restaurant's financial situation fluctuated, and by 1987 it was on the verge of bankruptcy when local businessman and inventor Richard Arel bought the building. Arel radically changed the menu, convinced employees to give up their union affiliation, and installed one of his monster-truck prototypes in the parking lot, which succeeded in attracting the attention of highway travelers. He then launched new projects to maintain public interest, commissioning a series of dinosaur models around 1993 from sculptors in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. This initiative capitalized on the box-office success of Jurassic Park and increased the restaurant's fame. A giant screen displaying the menu to motorists, arcade games, various kiosks, and kitsch decoration followed. Le Madrid, which also offered meeting rooms and 15 hotel rooms, welcomed between 400,000 and 500,000 visitors a year from all social classes. Quebec personalities such as Éric Lapointe, Louis-José Houde, Vincent Graton, Normand Brathwaite, Marc-André Coallier, Luc Senay, and Olympic medalist Marc Gagnon stopped there over the years, as attested by a wall of celebrities. Politicians including Claude Ryan and Bernard Landry also ate there; former premier René Lévesque was particularly fond of the vegetable soup, while singer Robert Charlebois preferred the club sandwich. The restaurant became a notable institution in the Nicolet-Yamaska region and a fixture of Quebec and Acadian popular culture in the 1990s and 2000s, often cited as an image of kitsch and questionable taste. In spring 2003, during the first season of Star Académie on TVA, the restaurant openly supported the winning candidacy of Acadian singer Wilfred LeBouthillier; new owners Julie Arel (Richard's daughter) and her Acadian partner Daniel Paulin sold 1,200 T-shirts of the finalist in a few days, a campaign followed by L'Acadie nouvelle. After years of rumors of sale or closure, the Arel family sold Le Madrid to a group of Quebec real-estate promoters in 2011. The building was demolished in September 2011 and replaced by a modern rest stop, Madrid 2.0, inaugurated in June 2012.

• 2012

  Modern rest stop Madrid 2.0 inaugurated in June on the site.

• 2011

  Arel family sells Le Madrid to Quebec real-estate promoters; building demolished in September.

• 2003

  Restaurant supports Wilfred LeBouthillier on Star Académie; sells 1,200 T-shirts in days.

• 1993

  Arel commissions a series of dinosaur models from sculptors in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli.

• 1987

  Business on verge of bankruptcy; Richard Arel buys the building and revamps the menu and decor.

• 1967

  Moulin Rouge destroyed by fire; rebuilt in concrete in Spanish style and renamed Le Madrid.

• 1960

  Establishment receives its own exit from the Trans-Canada Highway.

• 1959

  Restaurant expanded with a dance hall.

• 1956

  First incarnation built as Moulin Rouge on land adjacent to the Nicolet River.

A kitsch, larger-than-life roadside institution and neutral meeting point halfway between Montreal and Quebec City.

• Soups

• Sandwiches

• Burgers

• Roast chicken

• Poutine

1. 1Le Madridfr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Wikidata Q3224147wikidata.org
3. 3iXmedialemadrid.ca