90 Canadian Franchise Association http://www.cfa.ca | http://www.LookforaFranchise.caP
ierre Marc Tremblay, Innovator and Owner
of the Pacini chain of Italian restaurants, got
an early start in the food service business.
In fact, he was barely out of his teens when
he bought his first restaurant at the age of 20
in his hometown of Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
It was the early ‘80s, and Tremblay’s college classes
had been cancelled due to a strike. Rather than lounging
around during the unexpected break in his studies, the
young science student decided to take his first stab at
business ownership. With some help from his parents,
he bought a small restaurant and went to work. “I pur-
chased the restaurant business for $4,000, and spent
$11,000 redoing the concept,” says Tremblay. “Then, two-
and-a-half years later, I sold it for $100,000.”
That’s an impressive return on investment for even
the most seasoned entrepreneur, yet alone a young
neophyte whose only relevant work experience hadbeen waiting tables. It’s also a testament to Tremblay’s
hard work ethic and his natural feel for the food service
industry. While his parents pitched in with everything
from decor to menu design, Tremblay was the master-
mind behind the operation, putting in more than 80
hours each week to make his little French restaurant
a success.
It would take many more years of dabbling in this
and that before Tremblay would return to the restaurant
business, this time with Restaurant Pacini Inc., an estab-
lished chain of Italian restaurants in Quebec. In between,
Tremblay tried his hand at the stock market and a few
investment projects. He also returned to school to com-
plete his MBA, then worked with a government labour
committee tasked with helping underperforming busi-
nesses ramp up their productivity. “It was about putting
businesses back on track, and I discovered I had quite a
talent for this,” says Tremblay.LEADERSHIP PROFILE
KEEPING IT REAL
Pacini’s Pierre Marc Tremblay brings the authentic taste of Italy to Canadian communitiesBy Roma Ihnatowycz