Co-owner Basil Doucet

was raised in his family’s bed and breakfasts, so a career in the hospitality industry was a natural choice for him. A former flight attendant and restaurant server, he returned to Chéticamp in 2018 to make true his dream of owning his own restaurant and café after years living in Toronto and working around the world. Basil enjoys good coffee, well-organized spreadsheets, mixing cocktails for friends, and fiddle music.

Co-owner Jaron Felix

is an interdisciplinary artist who has been inspired by the nature surrounding him, his grandmother’s hospitality and wisdom, and his grandfather’s vegetable farming for as long as he can remember. Following his studies at NSCAD University (BFA 2016) and years of living between Chéticamp and Halifax, he returned home in 2018 with the goal of creating something special. Jaron can usually be found outside, either hiking in the mountains, building something, or gardening.

What is L’abri café, restaurant et bar?

L’abri café, restaurant et bar is the long-time dream of owners and good friends Basil Doucet and Jaron Felix. Founded in 2019, L’abri was borne from a desire to see their home village flourish once more, and to present the best of what Chéticamp has to offer: simple but elevated meals, classic and thoughtful design, cocktails and ocean views, friendship and hospitality, and a little whimsy and humour on the side. It is a restaurant that is more than a restaurant; it has become instead a symbol of the growing movement of young people returning to Chéticamp, setting roots and growing strong, here along the cliffs and the Cape Breton Highlands.

What does L’abri mean?

L’abri is French for The Shelter, a nod to the howling southeast Suête winds unique to Chéticamp and the Cape Breton Highlands, regularly reaching 150+ km/hr. These winds have forced resiliency in the people, homes, wildlife and flora who endure them. Here, the trees are unbowed, rooflines unique to the setting, and waves as strong as the Suêtes -- just like our Acadian people from which the team at L’abri draw inspiration. L’abri is therefore a Shelter from the outside elements, a place where friends find warmth, comfort, nostalgia – and of course, really good food and drinks.