 Bistro Le Chat Bleu has closed its doors for the season. This was the tenth year that Gisele Landry, the co-creator and owner/operator of the establishment, has been offering her special brand of welcome, with food and atmosphere, in Baie Verte.
When asked how people felt about the project, when Gisele Landry and her former partner started renovations which transformed the vacant general store building in Baie Verte, NB, into a community and tourist food destination, Gisele laughed a little.
“Family members, friends, the community, the people passing by, stopping in, going, what are you doing here?” They all said “You’re crazy. You’re in the middle of nowhere. This will never work.” And so we just kind of shrugged our shoulders and said, “Well, we’ll see.” And then it really worked.
Gisele says the seed of the idea was the building itself.
“I’ve always done a fair bit of renovation. I have an artistic background. I’ve travelled a lot, and there was a day when we, my former partner, the co-founder of Bistro Le Chat Bleu, were in the community and we would go by this building that was vacant, and it’s just like, look at that building.”
“No one’s doing anything with. Somebody should do something with that building. And so that was the spark. We had travelled enough, both in Europe and across Canada, to know that it’s possible to have an interesting space or restaurant or pub in a rural setting. That can be a destination. So we could see it. It took a couple of years to convince the owner to sell it. The building had been part of his family legacy. But, finally, when he did, the renovations began, and it was really a development of the seed of an idea.”
“So we purchased the property in 2006. I think it was 2010, approximately, when we were able to move in. And then there was another five years of renovations before we opened the doors of the bistro, which was Father’s Day 2015. Then, eventually, when we got the building insulated enough and far enough along and got running water in here and plumbing, ’cause there was no running water in the building then, that was the moment where we moved in and carried on with the renovation. So we were really living in a construction zone.”
This year, in her 10th season, Gisele decided to make some significant changes to the way that she presented the business. She felt that the time was right for a shift.
“If you think about it, this has been a 20 year project for me. We bought the building in 2006 and we’re coming into 2026. A lot of the renovations were hands-on, and then I’ve been very hands-on in the business. I am at retirement age, and one of the things that I’ve learned is that you can’t work in a stressful environment and full on, for too long before it’ll start to impact your health and well-being.”
“There’s a certain point where, as much as this has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m so proud of this accomplishment, it feels like it’s time to turn the page and move into a new chapter. So I created a business model that was more sustainable for me so that I could get the rest that I need and be more fully present. Pretty soon it’ll be time for me to pass on the baton to somebody younger who shares similar values and who would like to offer something in their own version to the community.”
“I’m just starting to kind of move into that reality. It may be somebody or someones from away who are looking for opportunities. I know that after spending 20 years on the West Coast, it was very difficult to create opportunities there. Things are so much more expensive. So it was really nice to come home and be able to accomplish this project.”
As Gisele looks forward to the coming Spring of 2026 she remains equally flexible and creative.
“If I’m still at the helm of this project, then I will open in the spring as I have this year and in previous years, and I’ll make a few adjustments. But I tell you that I am really enjoying this new business model. I love the entrance where people are coming in, not into a dining room, but into an open space that has products for sale that are locally sourced, that has art for sale.”
“I’m envisioning a kitchen store that also serves food, where you can sit down and eat and enjoy the atmosphere, or you can take it home and not have to cook your supper. At the same time, you might find some kitchen paraphernalia that inspires you to cook, or cookbooks. The theme is food as always but in a slightly different version, and I love the idea of the old general store sort of coming back in its own way.”
For future updates on the Bistro, visit the website at bistrolechatbleu.ca or the Bistro’s Facebook page.
