Burger And A Beer, In One Spot, Just In Time For Summer

Jeff Green | May 22, 2024

The popular Frenchie’s Chip Hut was out of commission for a few weeks in early May, as owner Chris Charlebois was working out all the details around re-locating his business. He did not move far. The hut had been located near Road 509 and Hwy. 7 in front of the building where Connections Adult Learning and Twin Feathers Smoke Shop are located.

It is now a few hundred metres to the east, at the Kick and Push Brewery site at 24613 Hwy.7, just west of the LCBO store.

“I had hoped to be closed for three days or so, but it took longer than that to get everything in place, all the plumbing and electrical and permitting,” Chris said earlier this week, but we did get opened on May 13.

That meant that by the time the Victoria Day weekend came about, the patio behind the Kick and Push brewery and pub area, was chock full of beer and food fans, enjoying the summer-like weather, a harbinger of what June, July and August will be like at what is fast becoming a hub for tourists and locals alike.

“The weekend was really good, even though we did not really let too many people know we had re-opened,” said Chris, “but out regulars found us and the K&P regulars were happy to check out our food as well.”

On Monday, Dan Lees from Kick and Push Brewery was busy brewing as he is running low of some of the 7 beers that he regularly brews in-house.

“The weekend was good, and it put me a bit further behind” he said, as he was planning extra batches for the week.

“I think it will work really well having Frenchie’s here. It is good for my customers in the pub to have food available, and since we sell beer to go, people can pick up a few cans while waiting for their food to be ready. It seems like a good fit” said Lees.

To accommodate more traffic, there is also an upper parking lot now available for Kick and Push and Frenchies’ customers.

There is a Friday Night Open Mic at Kick and Push that has been gaining in popularity, and will soon be moving outside to the back patio for the summer, and Wednesday Night is an informal cribbage night at the pub.

Chris Charlebois is contemplating special nights as well, during the summer season.

“I might do something like Taco Tuesday, or maybe a wing night. We’ll see,” he said.

The obvious potential crossover between the two businesses over the summer months has both Chris and Dan working towards ramping up their staffing and supply chains to meet.

For two small businesses, this is the first challenge they are looking to meet.

Kick and Push is now open 7 days a week, 12noon – 8pm, Wednesdays to Saturday and Monday, 12noon – 6pm on Sundays, and 4pm-8pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Frenchie’s Chip Hut is open 12noon-8pm 6 days a week, and 12noon-6pm on Sundays.

There will be an event in June to mark the coming together of the two businesses on a single site, but the date has not been set.

For now, Daniel is planning some long days brewing, and Chris is working on a bunch of priorities.

“I need to get some signage up one of these days,” he said, as another group of customers lined up to order poutine, sausages, and cheese burgers.