Globe & Mail
January 26, 2010

Big pickup spells luxury for restaurateur

by Petrina Gentile
photo by Dave Chan

Yannick Bigourdan is co-owner of one of Toronto's top restaurants, Nota Bene, and was named Independent Restaurateur of the Year by Food Service and Hospitality Magazine last month. And he's gearing up to open another restaurant this fall.

But even though he lives and works in the heart of downtown Toronto, he doesn't drive a small-city car. On the contrary. His ride is a top-trim 2009 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Cab 4x4 Lariat truck.

“It's a little crazy when you think about buying a truck and being downtown all the time. But we go to the cottage a lot. I got two beautiful big Labrador retrievers and two kids. We always end up packing the car so much when we go to the cottage that space was a big thing for me.

“The truck was the best solution. It's a fantastic vehicle for us. My wife and I are actually fighting for it now,” laughs Bigourdan, who started Nota Bene with co-owners David Lee and Franco Prevedello. After it opened in 2008, it was named Best New Restaurant by Toronto Life and enRoute Magazine. Last summer, he sold his other restaurant, Splendido.

“I live a very urban life during the week. My greatest pleasure is on Friday night or Saturday morning, taking my kids, my wife and dogs up to the cottage.

“I'm really happy when I get myself into the truck, I have my casual jeans on, and I get to work around the cottage and drive a vehicle that's going to let me take a lot of stuff to the garbage when I'm doing renovations. It's a very utilitarian vehicle.

“The drive to the cottage for my wife and I is a fantastic moment because it's the only moment when the kids are restrained – they're in their seats and they're usually sleeping. Its 2-1/2 hours of free time for my wife and I to actually catch up.

“We do that drive twice a weekend, which is pretty amazing because at home we don't have time to talk – it's always very busy with the kids, schooling, work, the dogs and the house. It's a very special time. We love the drive to the cottage.”

Bigourdan's last car was a Honda Odyssey, but when he decided on a truck he never considered a Ridgeline. “The Honda, in my mind, wasn't serious enough. I do a lot of work at my cottage. Dodge [Ram] and Ford were my top two choices. I thought the Ford was a bit nicer for my needs.

“Both my brothers-in-law are contractors and they drive Dodge so there was some heated discussion on what truck is the best,” says Bigourdan, who was born in the south of France to a family well-established in the food industry. His French accent is still evident.

“Buying a truck is a big commitment. I had to park in the building below the restaurant and make sure the truck would fit – that the width, length and height would be fine was an interesting process,” he laughs.

On the downside, though, “it's not very economical on gas.

“But I appreciate that the tank is so big I don't have to stop very often to put gas into it. I don't think anybody likes stopping for gas in the winter when it's cold. It's probably not economical on a dollar standpoint, but practical in the fact you don't have to fill up so often,” says Bigourdan, whose charitable work includes hosting annual fundraising dinners for Bloorview Kids Rehab.

With the Lariat trim on his truck, he gets a rear-view camera to help with parking, and a navigation system. “The finishes and levels of luxury are fantastic. You don't feel like you're driving a truck. You get all of the advantages of a truck – I can tow my boat or put some gravel in the back. But when you are in the driver's seat you feel like you're in a well-finished and comfortable car.”

He skipped one option – the rear DVD entertainment system for his two boys – Leo, 5 and Ty, 3. “They watch enough TV.”

Bigourdan bought his first car in France at 18; it was a Peugeot 205 diesel minicar. He earned the money working at restaurants and hotels.

“I travelled all of Europe with it for about two years – Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium. It went everywhere. It was a great car.

“I remember growing up in France and the Peugeot 205 was a great line. It was a reliable car. The diesel was great,” says Bigourdan, who later studied food, hotel and beverage management at the Swiss Hotel School of Lausanne.

He never had any mishaps in the Peugeot, or any other car for that matter. “I've never had a bad car story. I never had an accident – touch wood. Now it's over 17 years of driving and I never, never had an accident,” he says proudly.

The other family car is a Mercedes-Benz C280 4Matic sedan. “I used to drive it a lot and now I'm exclusively driving the truck wherever I go. For the restaurant business it's very practical if I have to go and pick up a few cases of wine. The space is there. It's very convenient.”

Now that he's a full-fledged truck guy, he has no plans of going back to a car unless it's his dream vehicle – a Ferrari California, which he names without hesitation.

“I think Ferrari is the dream of any little boy that loves nice cars. The California is just incredible – it's gorgeous. But we might get some speeding tickets.”

pgentile@globeandmail.com