Nickels Grill & Bar

Nickels Grill & Bar is a Canadian casual-dining restaurant chain that originated in Quebec and expanded through franchised locations, primarily in Quebec and Ontario. The business was created in 1990 by pop singer Céline Dion and four partners. The name refers to the number five, which was regarded as a lucky number by Dion and her husband, René Angélil. The company has also described itself as maintaining an ongoing business relationship with Dion. The chain was initially conceived in the style of a conventional North American family diner. Its menu developed around broad, accessible comfort-food categories rather than a narrowly specialized cuisine. Offerings described in reference material include complete breakfasts, hamburgers, milkshakes, pizza, chicken, ribs, salads, and numerous sandwiches. A particularly recognizable item is Montreal-style smoked meat, linking the brand to a food tradition strongly associated with Quebec. As the business evolved, some restaurants were redesigned and the operating concept was broadened toward a grill-and-bar format. This change preserved the chain's casual, all-day dining orientation while placing greater emphasis on grilled meals, bar service, and a more contemporary restaurant environment. The name Nickels Grill & Bar reflects this later positioning, although locations and formats have not necessarily been identical over the brand's entire history. The brand subsequently became part of Foodtastic, a Canadian restaurant group with a portfolio spanning casual dining, quick service, specialty food, and hospitality concepts. Other Foodtastic brands identified in reference material include Les Rôtisseries Benny, La Belle & La Boeuf, Souvlaki Bar, Carlos & Pepe's, Vinnie Gambini's Italian Restaurants, Bacaro, Chocolato, Big Rig, Monza, and Au Coq. Within that group structure, the Nickels concept has continued to be associated with franchised restaurant operations in Canada. The most recent format described for the business is Nickels Delicatessen, a deli-and-bar concept. This iteration places additional emphasis on deli-style food while retaining the brand's casual restaurant and beverage-service identity. Because the available reference material does not provide a current store count, detailed corporate leadership information, financial data, or a verified corporate website, those fields remain unspecified. The brand's documented identity is therefore best understood as a Quebec-origin Canadian restaurant chain whose formats have developed from a family-diner model into grill-and-bar and delicatessen variants.

Nickels Grill & Bar began in 1990 when Céline Dion and four partners opened the first restaurant under the Nickels name. The name was connected to the number five, described as a lucky number for Dion and René Angélil. The business was established as a casual, family-oriented restaurant rather than as a specialized food outlet, and its initial identity resembled a typical North American diner. From its early base in Quebec, Nickels expanded through franchised restaurants, with later locations concentrated primarily in Quebec and Ontario. The chain's menu was deliberately extensive. It covered breakfast and familiar casual-dining categories such as burgers, milkshakes, pizza, chicken, ribs, salads, and sandwiches. Montreal-style smoked meat became an especially notable part of the offering and gave the brand a distinctive regional association. Over time, the chain adjusted its restaurant format. Some locations were redesigned and the concept was developed toward a grill-and-bar model. This represented a shift in presentation and atmosphere while maintaining the broad menu and accessible positioning of the original family-diner concept. The resulting Nickels Grill & Bar identity combined casual meals with grill-focused dishes and bar service. The brand later entered the Foodtastic restaurant group. Foodtastic's portfolio includes multiple Canadian restaurant concepts, ranging from rotisserie and casual dining brands to bars, specialty-food businesses, and other restaurant formats. Nickels' inclusion in the group placed the chain within a larger franchising and multi-brand operating structure. The latest format identified in the available reference material is Nickels Delicatessen. This concept uses a deli-and-bar approach and represents another stage in the brand's evolution. It retains the Nickels name and its connection to casual foodservice while emphasizing deli-style offerings. The source material does not establish a precise current location count, a full list of operating units, current executives, or detailed ownership arrangements beyond the brand's association with Foodtastic. It also does not provide reliable financial information or a verified official website. Accordingly, the documented history is centered on the chain's 1990 founding, franchised expansion in Canada, format changes, smoked-meat identity, and incorporation into Foodtastic.

• 1990

  First Nickels restaurant opens

  [1]Nickels Grill & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Céline Dion and four partners opened the first Nickels restaurant, establishing the brand as a Canadian casual-dining concept.

• Expansion through franchised restaurants

  [1]Nickels Grill & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Nickels expanded through franchised locations, primarily in Quebec and Ontario.

• Development of the grill-and-bar format

  [1]Nickels Grill & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Some restaurants were redesigned and the business introduced a grill-and-bar concept alongside its earlier family-diner positioning.

• Integration into Foodtastic

  [1]Nickels Grill & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Nickels became part of Foodtastic, a Canadian multi-brand restaurant group.

• Nickels Delicatessen format

  [1]Nickels Grill & Baren.wikipedia.org

  The most recent format described for the brand operates as Nickels Delicatessen, combining deli food with bar service.

A broad-menu Canadian casual-dining brand built around approachable family-diner food, grill-and-bar service, and Quebec-associated Montreal-style smoked meat. Its later Nickels Delicatessen format extends the proposition into deli dining.

• Breakfast

  Breakfast meals

  Breakfast is one of the core menu areas associated with Nickels. The chain is described as serving complete breakfasts within a broad, all-day casual-dining menu. This offering supports the brand's original family-diner identity and gives it a daypart beyond lunch and dinner.

• Casual dining

  Burgers and sandwiches

  Burgers and sandwiches form a substantial part of the brand's familiar casual-food range. The sandwich selection has included Montreal-style smoked meat, an offering that connects Nickels with Quebec's regional deli and smoked-meat tradition.

• Grill and bar

  Grill and bar menu

  The grill-and-bar format broadened the restaurant experience beyond the original diner model. It combines grilled meals and other casual entrées with bar service, providing a more contemporary format while retaining the brand's accessible restaurant positioning.

• Deli and bar

  Nickels Delicatessen

  Nickels Delicatessen is the latest format identified for the brand. It emphasizes deli-style food and bar service, representing a further development of the Nickels concept rather than a completely separate brand identity.

• Casual dining

  Pizza, chicken, ribs, salads, and milkshakes

  The wider Nickels menu has included pizza, chicken, ribs, salads, and milkshakes. These categories reinforce the chain's broad-menu approach, offering familiar North American casual-dining choices rather than focusing on a single cuisine.

1. 1Nickels Grill & Baren.wikipedia.org