CALEB NICKERSON
QUYON June 19, 2018
On Tuesday night, the smell of motor oil and exhaust fumes mixed with the scent of freshly cooked meat and fries in downtown Quyon, as local classic car enthusiasts gathered for a weekly tradition.
A group of local gearheads gather out behind Casse-Croûte du Village Chip Wagon, participating in a sacrament of classic cars, burgers and specialty poutines overseen by owner Robert Pilon.
Carl Demell was proud to show off his blue 1982 Z28 Camaro, which he picked up around two years ago and spent a winter restoring in his garage.
“It’s the third generation, so it’s the first time they brought out this body type,” he said, when asked what attracted him to the car.
Demell’s wife Therese said that they average over a dozen cars and also have weekly 50/50 draws and door prizes.
Pilon said the chip stand has been in operation for three years and has been picking up momentum, due in part to the vehicles on display, and also the quality of the fare.
“It’s nice to have stuff in the area,” he said, about the origin of the meet-up. “Somebody asked me to [host] this, so I did. A few more come every time.”
Pilon is no stranger to the restaurant industry, having worked in the city for a decade. He said that making the leap to owning his own business has been a challenge, but a meaningful one. He has a crew of five that he said are invaluable to the operation of the stand.
“I have a great staff,” he said. “They’re very important to me. They make a big difference.”
Pilon’s business occupies some prime real estate in the village of Quyon, smack dab on the corner of two local thoroughfares.
Judging by the amount of vehicles pulling up to the corner of rue de Clarendon and rue Ferry, the hard work has translated into a solid customer base in the area and will remain a fixture in the area.
