St-Hubert's rise in Quebec

As a staple for many Quebec households, the St-Hubert rotisserie chicken chain is known for its catchy jingle and bright yellow delivery cars.

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The company, firmly rooted in la belle province with humble beginnings in Montreal, is changing hands for the first time in 65 years.

"It's a Quebec jewelof which we are all proud," HEC Montral marketing professorJacques Nantelsaid.

St-Hubert has become ingrained in Quebecers' homes and hearts for years..

The chain owns120 restaurants and take-out counters, almost all of them in Quebec. More than 10,000 people are employed by the company.

"People are deeply touched by what they feel was part of the family," Ren Vzina, a Quebec economy commentatorsaid."St-Hubert has been around all these years and it's one of the few authentic brand names that was born and developed here."

Here are some key moments from the home-grown establishment's rise to fame.

First restaurant opens

The iconic rotisserie restaurant quickly flourished after the opening of its first location on St-Hubert St. in Montreal by Hlne and Ren Lger.

The family was inspired by similar barbecue restaurants in the city and decided to take a chance in 1951.

The familiar chicken, coleslaw and fries combination is a hit and the family-owned restaurant spans into five locations by the time Montreal hosts Expo 67.

The sauce, the yellow fleet and the jingle come to life

St-Hubert's famous gravy sauce makes its way from the dining table to supermarkets across Quebec in 1965. The barbecue sauce can still be found on shelves everywhere in ready-to-serve, freshtable formats, alongside desserts, seasonings, frozen chicken and more.

The familiar and catchy St-Hubert melodyand yellow beetle fleet quickly also become a cornerstone of the French-Canadianrestaurant's brand and free delivery service.

A quick expansion

After rapid growth in Quebec, the restaurant chain expands outside of la belle province during the 1970s. The owners quadruple the number of rotisserie locations in 10 years.

Snow birds who flocked to Florida during Quebec's harsh winters were even able to find a piece of home in Fort Lauderdale.

Today, St-Hubert still hasrestaurants in Ontario and New Brunswick but the majority remain in Quebec.

St-Hubert goes smoke-free

Quebec hadn't even passed legislation to ban smoking inside indoor spaces and public places when St-Hubert makes the move to do so in 2005.

The rotisserie chain becomes the first restaurant in Quebec to bansmoking inside its restaurants in 2005, a full year before Quebec makes it mandatory.