News

Café Saint-Henri, a leader in specialty coffee, remains a Quebec-owned business.  Its founder, Jean-François Leduc, has decided to hand over his growing business to a young buyer who will maximize Café Saint-Henri’s full potential and make its artisans shine.

With more than 70 employees, 8 boutiques, 2 roasting shops, an online store and a distribution network in restaurants and grocery stores, Café Saint-Henri has become the Quebec leader in specialty coffee. Café Saint-Henri offers coffee lovers a unique product whose every step has been controlled, from the harvesting of the beans to the roasting, done in Montreal and Quebec City.

It was essential for Mr. Leduc that his company remain in Quebec hands. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to discuss the sale of his business with international groups. For this entrepreneur, the next owner of Café Saint-Henri had to espouse the same mission and values as he did: to make specialty coffees that meet the highest quality standards accessible to the greatest number of people, while maintaining a transparent purchasing process, from the farm to the cup. The 3rd wave coffee was first and foremost synonymous with a passion for him and he wanted to share it with Quebecers. Now that its quality is recognized, it’s time to expand the possibilities and take Café Saint-Henri to another level, by handing over the reins to an entrepreneur who loves the product and has a wealth of experience.

“I did not choose the best transition “for me”, but the best possible buyer for “my company“, says Jean-Francois Leduc, founder.

Sébastien Grenache, proud new owner of Café Saint-Henri, has seen the company grow and believes in the product. Having been associated with several companies, he will put his experience in marketing, distribution and human resources to good use in the development of Café Saint-Henri. 

For him, it is important to maintain the identity of Café Saint-Henri and to continue the mission of Jean-François Leduc: from the first meetings in November 2019, they shared a common vision. His goals are clear: quickly maximize distribution channels as well as online sales. Already, the Métro grocery chain has shown interest in Café Saint-Henri products by listing them in several grocery stores in Quebec. This makes Café Saint-Henri the first 3rd wave coffee to appear on supermarket shelves. Also, it wishes to extend the consumption of Café Saint-Henri products in several regions of Quebec.

“I am proud to be at the helm of a Quebec company with a solid reputation. Jean-François was a precursor of the 3rd wave coffee and I am committed to ensuring that Café Saint-Henri remains the leader in specialty coffee,” adds Mr. Grenache.

In order to make this acquisition a reality, Mr. Grenache has given himself the means to achieve his ambitions and has teamed up with long-time friends and collaborators who share complementary knowledge of food distribution, digital technology, restaurants and finance. 

“We are very happy to participate in the evolution of Café Saint-Henri. Our group is made up of experts who will be called upon to help the company grow and support Sébastien and the team in place in their vision of growth. It is with great enthusiasm that we will continue to write the pages of Café Saint-Henri’s history,” concludes Julien Trussart, President of Oliva Capital.