Business unit profile in numbers :
38 years in business
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50 restaurants
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2500 employees
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$800,000 invested in change
Relationship since 2015
"I hired CANU because I was looking for something concrete. An expertise that would allow us to engage all members of our network during our brand’s important strategic change. CANU creates a constructive space for conversations that puts all stakeholders involved in change at the core of the experience. In doing so they allowed us to transform more rapidly and efficiently. CANU’s approach is an innovative pedagogical method that delivers solid results."
Jean Bédard, President & Chief Executive Officer
The restaurant chain becomes La Cage - Brasserie sportive
In June 2015, Mr Jean Bédard, President of the Sportscene Group Inc, announced an important strategic change for La Cage aux Sports; The iconic restaurant chain was given a new look and became La Cage – Brasserie Sportive. With this major transformation revealed by the executive team, La Cage – Brasserie sportive wishes to revamp the customer experience and create a more current brand in order to attract a younger clientele. This plays a major role in ensuring a bright future for the company, while still retaining its most loyal clientele. Before the news can go public, a detailed strategy must be well defined and articulated; and for the plan to be properly executed, it is essential to mobilise the key stakeholders that will translate this new vision into a reality on a daily basis – the restaurant operators.
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Before their public statement, the management team plans to unveil the new brand image and concept during the company’s two-day annual conference. For La Cage – Brasserie Sportive executives, the major challenge lies in using that pivotal event to ensure the proper execution and the success of this strategic change.
For this to happen, it is of the utmost importance to accelerate team development so they are capable of accomplishing this historic transformation the first time around, as there will not be a second chance to achieve success.
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Understand how stakeholders interpret the upcoming change as they move to take action
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Determine with clarity the concerns and doubts, in order to face them with unity
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Slow down the executive team so participants and collaborators understand the vision and the evolution of their roles
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Use the annual conference to maximise the operators’ engagement and ownership of the new concept
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Support operators in their work with their staff
Reposition the leader who becomes president again;
Giving meaning back to the company;
Reassure team members and convey a message of consistency and stability;
Present the leader's vision and allow team members to position themselves in relation to it;
Take the pulse of the team;
Bring together the conditions for success to commit to the vision.
Our mandate
Embarking the leaders in this turning point
The first phase of CANU’s mandate involves preparing Mr Bédard and his team for the company’s upcoming annual meeting, while the second phase includes an active participation in the execution of the event. The goal is to show the executive team’s commitment in embarking on this transformation, and to ensure that participants understand the significance of their role and the importance of rowing together in the same direction. The third and final phase is centered on the development of tools for restaurant operators to employ in their work, and with their staff. This enables everyone involved to truly embody this change in all of their daily activities.
"I was incredibly impressed by the proficiency and determination of Mr Bédard and his team during this time of change. Their openness and flexibility allowed us to build a rich and engaging experience for all parties involved. This positive attitude was inspiring for all team members. We could feel their energy, their motivation, and their engagement in implementing this new strategy. It was truly a pleasure for us to be able to partner with La Cage – Brasserie Sportive during this historic event."
Geneviève Vallières, client program manager
CANU's approach
CANU’s intervention starts with a preparation cycle for the annual conference with La Cage – Brasserie Sportive’s management group. CANU collaborates with the group president and a few key players from his team to create a water challenge, producing a strategic environment capable of generating awareness that allows leaders to better understand their own needs in a context of change. Based on that learning experience, they gain valuable insights that help them to specify their role during the upcoming announcement and transformation of the brand.
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After this initial stage, CANU uses its observations and contributes to the creation of the event agenda, designs tailored discussion activities related to change, builds Olympic-calibre developmental benchmarks, and comes up with a unifying vocabulary to be used during the conference and beyond. CANU also ensures that all contributors have access to the tools and necessary knowledge to be fully operational during the transformation, in order for the new identity to spread across all departments of every restaurant.
D DAY: The annual conference
During the two-day annual conference, CANU is actively involved at many levels in order to create an optimal environment that allows executives to efficiently explain their strategy and vision for the brand. CANU designs a setting that promotes healthy discussions between the management team and restaurant operators. Furthermore, CANU plays a major part in contextualizing the various activities and presentations, adequately preparing restaurant operators and ensuring they are truly receptive of the strategic message. CANU also leads several activities and continually assists key people before their presentations by focusing on powerful communications levers, and pitfalls to avoid. In doing so, CANU amplifies the reach of the core messages and, increases participant engagement and ownership.
Our videographers also are on site to capture the event and create a short video that operators can present to their teams when they go back to their restaurants. The intention is to share the President’s thought process with all staff members, so they can better understand how they can embody performance in the change that is associated with their roles.
The results of our collaboration
Mobilized through change
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A positive impact on the company’s results
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Improved clarity of communications between all participants
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Higher level of engagement from all members involved in the brand’s historic change
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Enhanced level of confidence amongst restaurant operators, towards the management and the brand
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A change in perspective between restaurateurs; from competitors to teammates
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Improved transparency with outside stakeholders
