Owners for 13 years
28 attentive employees
Store in business for 50 years
For some people, life seems to follow a natural path. For Audrey, that path looks a lot like a grocery store aisle. While Audrey was working in a food market, she met the love of her life, who was working in her father’s grocery store. When the opportunity to buy a Marché Bonichoix together presented itself, they moved locations without hesitation. Since then, Audrey and her husband are happy to say that Saint-Bruno-Lac-Saint-Jean is their “slice of paradise.”
It takes a village to raise a child
The Marché Bonichoix D.D.L.’s story is all about family. Audrey, her husband, and their two children work there. Their eldest, Jean-Michel, now manages the produce department. Their youngest Samuel oversees the store’s sandwich shop. Until very recently, even Audrey’s dad came in every day to help out.
By spending time together every day, the tight-knit family’s values transferred naturally to the rest of the store’s team. The employees all care for one another, and this kindness spreads to the local community, who have become part of the family too. A few years ago, this sense of family had a remarkable impact.
A hardship that brought the family together
After five years in Saint-Bruno, Audrey felt that her community was truly looking out for her. This feeling rang true not once, but twice. In November 2011, her son Samuel was diagnosed with brain cancer. The news came as a shock to the family, and its impact was felt throughout the whole community. For many, Samuel was like a son, brother, or grandson. Then, on June 21 of this year, Audrey’s father Mr. Spence died suddenly. He had been very involved in the community, and his smile was contagious. He was particularly involved in Saint-Bruno’s parish and choir. Seeing the church filled to overflowing during the funeral really meant a lot to the whole family.
“When our son received his cancer diagnosis, many locals spontaneously came and decorated one of the store’s walls with hearts and best wishes to support our family. It really touched us.”
A new image, A new energy
Audrey has always been proud of her Marché Bonichoix. She was proud before the move, but she can’t help but smile when she talks about the new store. “We were one of the first Bonichoix stores to revamp under the new brand image,” says Audrey, adding that most of the community attended the grand opening. The new store is almost twice as big as the old one.
• 2,800: square feet added during the move in 2014. The grocery store now covers a total of 10,000 square feet.
• 18%: size of the ready-to-eat department, which is now a veritable catering service.
• 140: number of chickens enjoyed during the Mai-ga Festival in May 2019.
Happily giving back to the community
Audrey considers herself lucky to live in a community where personal connections are as real as the people living there. That’s why she is so involved in her community.In addition to being part of the Société de développement de Saint-Bruno, she sponsors Saint-Bruno’s winter carnival and bantam hockey tournament through the grocery store. And she loves lending a hand at the elementary school’s health-focused cafeteria, where she contributes by providing healthy food at a reduced rate. She also organizes fundraising campaigns for student organizations.
Finding joy through it all
Audrey is proud of her accomplishments, and her tourtière du Lac. As she should be! But her greatest pride is her family. Her close relationship with them means that she gets to spend her days with the three people she cares about most in the world. Did her son’s cancer diagnosis have anything to do with it? Of course. But if you’re looking for a strong, resilient family who sees the joy in everything, you know where to find them!
This section presents our partners who personify the Bonichoix values.
Want to give a shout out to one of our employees? Be sure to let us know!
