The Innisfil Marché as it was in 2006.Located just off Highway 400, this unique log structure has seen more failed businesses than some South American banana republics seen military coups. The last business to occupy this space was the much-lauded Innisfil Heights Marché Restaurant, which opened in September, 2005 and mysteriously shut its doors sometime in the summer of 2007.
Some additional images of the Marché 'back in the day'. Professional chef couple Jörg and Marianne Reichert, best known for the Mövenpick Marchés in Toronto, opened up this 14,000 square-foot – two-story - log house with seating for 300 just off Innisfil Beach Road, minutes away from Georgian Downs (Racetrack and Slots) and the 400 flea market. The building also boasted 2,500 sq.ft. retail shop that offered everything from gifts and magazines to European chocolate, ham, breads and cheeses.
Not much has changed in terms of the appearance of the building and grounds since the abrupt closure.The Reichert's also furnished the restaurant with unique custom-made fixtures and furniture which had been imported from Spain, Switzerland, France, Holland and Germany and is reported to be worth approximately 6 million Dollars.
A 180 seat patio and balcony seats were also available to dinners, weather permitting.
The Reichert's location of the restaurant was thought to be ideal for the target market they were after; the thousands of travelers that used Highway 400 to travel from Toronto to get to the cottage in the Muskokas or to go skiing at Horseshoe Valley or Blue Mountain. As owners also employed approximately 100 staff, this business venture was very well welcomed by the Innisfil municipal department of economic development.
The sign just outside the main entrance detailed the Marché master plan which called for a petting zoo . . . very handy if the butcher delivery was late.The Reicherts planned, among many other things, a petting zoo, outside playgrounds, beer garden, picnic drive-through, a drive up banking machine and a gas station.
Restaurant Apocalypse & Ghost Guests
When I had a peek in the window, I was rather surprised to find that even after several months of closure, all the tables were set to receive dinner guests. As this seriously sketched me out, I did not attempt to determine a P.O.E. during this initial location scout.
From my view outside, I could see through the windows that the coolers were still plugged in and contained beverages. Dinnerware was stacked at the ready to be filled with food and packaged European delicacies were ready for purchase. The restaurant's web page is off line and it's telephone has been disconnected. Those whom I've asked are not sure when or why the business closed and I am unable to bump into any previous employees.
One theory I have heard is that Richtree Markets, who own Canadian chains of the Movenpick, Marché and Marchelino restaurants had a nasty falling out with its founders, Jörg and Marianne Reichert. There were several lawsuits flying but this was settled even before the Reichert's opened up the Innisfil Marché market restaurant. The theory is that one of the lawsuits reanimated from the dead (appropriate for this post-Halloween post) and bit them.
This still does not explain why the assets have not been liquidated and that the restaurant still appears as if the staff just set up for the next dinner guests.
Post a comment here if you are in the know . . .
7 comments:
Had a friend that worked there, apparently bankrupt or ran out of money somehow. They told her that they couldn't pay her yet, but she will get the money she worked for. This is a rather late comment.
late comment also... I Used to work for the Reichert's back in 1998 until 2001 in Montreal for the opening of their Movenpick Marché....And i just saw that story about their Innisfil Marché after all the judiciary conflicts with Richtree board and Movenpick in Switzerland ... IM SOOOOOOO NOT SURPRISED.... these people, Jorg and wife Marianne are screwers: unpaid suppliers, forcing a share-buy program for employees and a lot more nasty stories ... like Mrs Reichert screaming like a crazy bitch to employees right in front of customers... yeahhhhhhh i guess its part of the concept: you see everything, from the beginning to the end.......They probably simply ran away with the money, never paying for the building, furniture, suppliers, employees.......
It seems to have reopened with very limited hours and staff.. Same cooking and tables are used..
I most agree with Anonymous statement with regards to J&M Reichard. But their opened again as Tyler mentioned correctly. I personaly suffered during my short employment with them 2003 just before he was kicked out of Ritchtree. I could not carry on my legal rights as my wife fall vey mentall sick, due to Reicherts, and still consider to start to take new legal action agains them.
On top of it, both of them are professional idiods.... no clue at all.....a
The saying is "what goes around comes around" and the Reicherts get back what they distributed to a lot of their former employees...shit and hardship!. Anonymous 1&2 are correct and I collectively agree with them as Anonymous "3" on the "record". I worked with J&M Reichert in theYork Street operation in the 80's when they only had this one outlet but worked already on the Yorkville project (next to the Four Seasons Hotel) which eventually materialized. J. Reichert was actually an OK boss but his wife was a real witch (or like another Anonymous states ....a bitch) and had no idea nor knowledge in the hospitality industry (she was a secretary back in Germany). To be frank I always thoughtnthatbshe will bring the man (Joerg) one down to his knees...and maybe this has finally happens. I was part of management back in the 80's and believe that I would have stayed on if witch "M" would not have been around...she really was the one who pulled the strings from behind and made "J" walk the line she wanted. Besides this she was a zero talent if it came to human resources skills as she truly shouted and mauled employees at every possible opportunity. I noticed also that "J" is disabled since 2007 from one of the professional websites and I hope he is ok because he was an ok man when I worked for him. I also noticed that their estate (home) is up for "urgent" sale at around 3.3 mil dollars which may connects with their unfortunate direction their professional lives have taken. Does anyone has an update on the Reicherts? In any case I do not wish anyone anything bad and specially not any illness; so I do hope both of them are healthy and can enjoy the retirement years of their lives.
Hi anonymous and previous employees. I also worked for Movenpick Toronto in the 80's and was part of the Management team on York Street and also on the production of the business concept as well as pre-opening of MP Yorville. I reported directly to Jorg R. (JR) but Marianne R. (MR) was really "pulling the strings" from behind (as anonymous rightly states) and often played the "music of the day" if it came to work-place-harmony or ....else! I agree that JR was a nice guy and Boss (during my employ) and I'm very sorry that he had so much misfortune in business but moreover about the horrible car crash which left him in a bad health stage. No one deserves such an outcome! Their future looked promising in the 80's and so did mine at MP Canada as JR really appreciated my work and he told me "I have big plans for you"; however his rather incompetent wife MR (if it came to Foodservice/operational Restaurant knowledge) was a major blow to my working relationship with JR and eventually it was just better to leave as she (MR) truly influenced JR and the business absolutely and often very negatively. Just as a little example; one day JR ordered me to give a corporate MP Executive a tour of the York Street operations and she (MR) wanted to stop me during the inspection with the VIP to help stuffing gift baskets as they need urgent completion. I refused her (in a nice way) stating that I take care of our VIP guests as per JR's orders. She then replied "well then I do it myself and you take the tour"! From this point onwards it was really bad between "her and myself" and of course she was in an easy position to influence JR negatively towards myself and my position thus it was a much better choice to move-on! Why? I myself run since many years a successful Hospitality group in Asia as a large shareholder and enjoy every minute of it! We employ over 1000 staff over multiple concepts/operations and serving well over 150.000 guests each month. I did learn a few good things from JR and I like to thank him for that and I do wish both JR and MR a healthy and happy retirement life and specially JR the best of recovery after his unfortunate accident. God bless!
Karma is a real and everything I have read about Jorg and Marianne is
a 100% fact. They steal from the rich and fill their own pockets, or least they tried and got caught.
Post a Comment