Supporting small businesses is at the heart of what we do at Interac. Through our work with the Bell Centre, that support took centre stage in Montreal.
The Interac Restaurant Spotlight program was created to give local Montreal restaurants greater visibility by bringing their food and stories directly to hockey fans during six regular season hockey games. In collaboration with the Bell Centre, the program offered six local restaurants the opportunity to showcase their businesses inside one of Canada’s most iconic venues, turning game day into a platform for local entrepreneurship.
Interac spoke with the six Restaurant Spotlight businesses to learn more about their journeys, their businesses, and what it meant to see their restaurants featured on one of hockey’s biggest stages.
Loumi
Loumi was at the first Restaurant Spotlight on October 18, 2025. We spoke with co-owner Karim Mahmoud to learn more about his journey.
What inspired the start of Loumi?
Karim was inspired first and foremost by his wife, who pushed him to take the leap. While attending cooking school, he realized he didn’t want to work for someone else; he wanted to build something of his own. That realization led him to approach his older brother and, eventually, partner with chef Amine Laabi to open Loumi and bring his own vision to life.
What’s Loumi’s best-selling dish?
Loumi’s best-selling items include the vegetarian halloumi sandwich, the crispy chicken burger, and a newer smash burger featuring halloumi cheese. Introduced just a few months ago, the smash halloumi burger has quickly become one of the restaurant’s most popular menu items.
What does it feel like being a part of your local community?
For Karim, community is defined by repeat customers. In Loumi’s early months, he worked long days (often 12 hours at a time) and seeing customers return day after day and week after week became his definition of success. That loyalty, and the relationships built with regulars, reinforced that the restaurant resonated with the community and validated the hard work behind it.
How did it feel to be part of the Restaurant Spotlight program?
Being part of the Restaurant Spotlight program and having Loumi featured at the Bell Centre was an emotional milestone for Karim. As a lifelong hockey fan in Montreal, seeing Loumi’s logo throughout the venue gave him “goosebumps” and felt like a dream come true and a moment that symbolized how far the business had come and what’s possible for small business owners who keep pushing forward.
Finish this sentence: As a small business owner, opportunities like this remind me to never give up in life, and if you have a dream, just go with it.
Loumi was at the first Restaurant Spotlight on October 18, 2025. We spoke with co-owner Karim Mahmoud to learn more about his journey.
Le Saloon Bistro Bar
Le Saloon Bistro Bar was at the Pride Night Restaurant Spotlight on December 9, 2025. We spoke with Manager Simon to learn more about their journey.
What inspired the start of Le Saloon Bistro Bar ?
The current team at Le Saloon is motivated by what keeps the restaurant thriving decades after it was founded in the 90s: its loyal and deeply engaged customers. Over the years, Le Saloon has passed through several owners and today, under George’s ownership and the day‑to‑day leadership of manager Simon and director Alexi, Le Saloon continues to build on its legacy as a long‑standing fixture in Montreal’s Village, open for nearly 35 years.
What’s Le Saloon Bistro Bar’s best-selling dish?
Rather than a single food item, Le Saloon is best known for its cocktail program and extensive wine list. In recent years, the beverage offering has been completely reworked, now featuring over 70 wines, more than half of which are private imports, curated by Alexi, a trained sommelier.
While the food menu continues to evolve and adapt regularly, cocktails and wine have become the standout favourites for guests and a key part of what draws people back.
What does it feel like being a part of your local community?
Being part of the local community is what has sustained Le Saloon, especially during challenging moments like the pandemic. The restaurant has a strong base of loyal, repeat customers who visit multiple times a week, not just for the food, but for the atmosphere.
Le Saloon is described less as a “sit, eat, and leave” restaurant and more as a place where people gather for hours of fun and connection. During the pandemic, these loyal customers played a vital role in keeping the business alive, supporting takeout efforts through a front‑window pickup and showing up consistently when it mattered most.
How did it feel to be part of the Restaurant Spotlight program?
Being featured at the Bell Centre was an exciting and unexpected experience for the Le Saloon team. For Simon, who was onsite during the activation, the moment was especially memorable, from giving out samples to seeing himself and the restaurant featured on the arena’s big screens.
The experience was fun, energizing, and full of surprises, adding another meaningful chapter to Le Saloon’s long history in Montreal’s hospitality scene.
Finish this sentence: As a small business owner, opportunities like this remind me everything to make your business be present is worthwhile.
Le Petit Sao
Le Petit Sao was at the Lunar New Year Celebration Restaurant Spotlight on January 29, 2026. We spoke with co-owner Jean-Paul Belmont to learn more about their journey.
What inspired the start of Le Petit Sao?
Le Petit Sao was inspired by culture, partnership, and a shared vision between co‑founders Jean‑Paul Belmont and his wife, Lise Dong. Lise, who is Vietnamese, grew up in the restaurant industry through her parents’ Vietnamese restaurant in Marseille, France. After studying business together in Montreal, she continued working in hospitality while Jean‑Paul built experience in corporate and tech roles.
The idea for Le Petit Sao came from Lise’s desire to modernize Vietnamese cuisine – elevating it beyond fast service and reintroducing it in a more vibrant, contemporary way. Inspired by restaurant concepts they discovered while travelling in California, the couple set out to make Vietnamese food feel “cool,” modern, and representative of Vietnamese culture. Liz led the creative and cultural vision, while Jean‑Paul supported the business development and growth side, a partnership they describe as highly complementary.
What’s Le Petit Sao’s best-selling dish?
Le Petit Sao’s top‑selling dish is the grilled chicken bowl bún, featuring grilled chicken, vermicelli noodles, and fresh vegetables. While Jean‑Paul’s personal favourite is a bowl created collaboratively with customers at the brand’s first location, the grilled chicken bowl bún remains the most popular item among guests.
What does it feel like being a part of your local community?
Community plays a central role in Le Petit Sao’s success. The restaurants are designed to serve local neighbourhoods, welcoming business professionals during lunch and families and residents in the evenings. Many customers return multiple times a week, making the restaurant a consistent part of their routine.
Jean‑Paul emphasizes that Le Petit Sao reflects the values they prioritize internally: respect, openness, and care for both staff and customers. He describes the Montreal community they serve as warm, open‑minded, and deeply aligned with the brand’s values – creating a mutual respect that strengthens long‑term loyalty.
How did it feel to be part of the Restaurant Spotlight program?
Being featured at the Bell Centre through the Restaurant Spotlight program was a deeply meaningful moment for Le Petit Sao. Jean‑Paul described the Bell Centre as “the heart of Montreal,” and being present there felt like both an honour and a milestone, especially as immigrants who built their business in the city.
Beyond visibility, the experience carried cultural significance. Le Petit Sao was also invited to participate during Lunar New Year celebrations, making the opportunity feel especially aligned with the brand’s Vietnamese heritage. Seeing their logo on the Bell Centre’s screens symbolized validation of their mission and marked a major step forward for the business.
Finish this sentence: As a small business owner, opportunities like this remind me that the mission is not done, this is just a big step for us.
Lloydies
Lloydies was at the Celebrating Black Excellence Restaurant Spotlight on February 28, 2026. We spoke with co-owner Julian Chemtov to learn more about their journey.
What inspired the start of Lloydies?
Lloydies’ expansion into restaurants was inspired by legacy, family, and intuition. The brand was founded in 1987 by Lloyd Tull, who introduced Jamaican patties to the Quebec market. Years later, Lloyd’s son, Nathaniel, along with business partner Julian, saw an opportunity to revive Lloydies’ restaurant roots from the early 1990s.
For the founders, it felt like the right moment – Lloyd wanted to tell another chapter of his story through food, Nathaniel saw how the concept fit the business model, and Julian trusted his gut that there was a real need for high-quality, accessible Caribbean food. Together, they focused on bringing Lloyd’s home‑cooked meals into a restaurant setting while continuing their manufacturing business, which remains known nationwide for Jamaican patties.
What’s Lloydies’ best-selling dish?
Lloydies is best known for two standout items: their jerk chicken, which makes up a large part of their menu sales, and their Jamaican patties – a product the brand has been recognized for across Canada for decades.
What does it feel like being a part of your local community?
Being part of the local community is central to Lloydies’ identity. Julian and Nathaniel intentionally chose highly visible, well‑trafficked neighbourhood locations to stay connected to their customers. Since opening, they’ve been welcomed with strong community support and have built a loyal customer base that continues to return regularly.
For the team, that loyalty carries responsibility, to consistently deliver high-quality Caribbean food at a fair price and ensure customers feel good about spending their hard-earned money at Lloydies.
How did it feel to be part of the Restaurant Spotlight program?
Being featured through the Restaurant Spotlight program at the Bell Centre was described as a “dream come true.” As lifelong hockey fans, the opportunity to showcase Lloydies’ food inside such an iconic institution, alongside Interac was both exciting and meaningful. Lloydies was also featured through The Spot, a small business feature on Interac social channels.
While the founders were thrilled, the experience resonated just as strongly with their team. Staff were eager to be part of the moment, making it a shared source of pride across the entire business.
Finish this sentence: As a small business owner, opportunities like this remind me that we are very blessed.
Screaming Chef Cuisine
Screaming Chef was at the First Peoples Celebration Restaurant Spotlight on March 21, 2026. We spoke with co-owner Ryland Diome to learn more about their journey.
What inspired the start of Screaming Chef Cuisine?
Screaming Chef Cuisine began as a creative outlet. Founder and chef Ryland Diome originally started cooking on a whim – preparing food out of his home once a week for friends and family. At the time, he was working in a completely different line of work and had stepped away from music, which had been a major creative passion for him.
Cooking quickly evolved into catering, particularly within the Kahnawake community. Support from his family, including his partner, mother, grandmother, and children helped him see that cooking could become something long‑term. Over time, Screaming Chef Cuisine grew from a home operation into a full catering business (founded in 2019), and eventually into a brick‑and‑mortar restaurant, which opened in February 2024.
What’s Screaming Chef Cuisine’s best-selling dish?
Screaming Chef Cuisine’s best‑selling item is Buffalo‑style chicken wings. Although wings weren’t originally part of the concept they were introduced in response to community demand. Since being added to the menu, they’ve become overwhelmingly popular, alongside chicken tenders, with demand often outpacing supply.
What does it feel like being a part of your local community?
Community is at the heart of Screaming Chef Cuisine. Located in Kahnawake, just steps from Ryland’s home, the restaurant is intentionally intimate. It’s a hidden gem without signage, designed to feel personal and welcoming. Guests are quite literally invited into Ryland’s world, able to see the environment that inspires his cooking.
Building relationships, feeding people he knows, and creating a space rooted in trust and familiarity has helped the restaurant feel less like a business and more like a shared experience between chef and community.
How did it feel to be part of the Restaurant Spotlight program?
Being featured at the Bell Centre was described by Ryland as a major milestone and a “feather in his cap.” The experience went beyond showcasing food – it was about connection. Meeting the chefs and kitchen teams behind the scenes, stepping onto the ice in an empty Bell Centre, and sharing a heartfelt moment with fellow cooks left a lasting impression.
For Ryland, the opportunity symbolized how far Screaming Chef Cuisine had come – from cooking at home to serving food in one of Montreal’s most iconic venues.
Finish this sentence: As a small business owner, opportunities like this remind me that good things come when you stay dedicated to something.
Il Miglio
Il Miglio was at the final Restaurant Spotlight on April 9, 2026. We spoke with co-owner Giovanni Rasile to learn more about their journey.
What inspired the start of Il Miglio?
Il Miglio was born from years of hands-on kitchen experience and a shared belief that great pasta should be both high quality and accessible. After spending a long time working in professional kitchens, the founders saw an opportunity to focus on what they loved most: making fresh pasta by hand and serving it at a reasonable price.
Rather than positioning Il Miglio as a high-end restaurant, the goal was to offer high-quality, handmade pasta that people could enjoy regularly, without compromising on ingredients, technique, or value.
What’s Il Miglio’s best-selling dish?
Il Miglio’s top-selling dish across all locations is the rigatoni with Bolognese sauce. While the menu features many strong sellers, customers consistently return for the freshness and quality of the handmade pasta, something that sets Il Miglio apart from store‑bought alternatives.
What does it feel like being a part of your local community?
Community is at the heart of Il Miglio’s growth. The team has built strong relationships with locals by serving both freshly cooked meals and fresh pasta that customers can take home and prepare themselves. This added flexibility has helped Il Miglio become part of customers’ everyday lives – not just a place to dine, but a trusted local food destination.
Local support has played a critical role in the business’s ability to expand. The steady demand from people who live and work in the neighbourhoods made it possible for Il Miglio to grow beyond its original location and open in new areas across Montreal.
How did it feel to be part of the Restaurant Spotlight program?
Being featured at the Bell Centre felt like a moment where hard work truly paid off. For the team at Il Miglio, opportunities like this go beyond visibility – they allow the founders to step out from the kitchen, connect directly with people, and experience firsthand how much customers appreciate their food.
Finish this sentence: As a small business owner, opportunities like this remind me that hard work pays off.
Each of the six restaurants featured through the Restaurant Spotlight program brings something unique to Montreal’s food scene, but they’re united by a shared passion for their craft and their community.
By working with the Bell Centre, Interac is helping small businesses reach new audiences and turn moments of visibility into lasting opportunities. For these restaurant owners, this moment at the Bell Centre is just one milestone in a much larger journey.
