The holiday season has come to an end, and for many people, it feels like a vacation is needed from the chaos of the season. Luckily for residents of the Valley, a staycation may be closer to home than ever.
Bon Vivant opened on November 1, 2025, and is associated with Boutique Bon Boeuf; a family-run beef farm in Saint-Chrysostome, where animals are raised with access to the indoors and outdoors all year long. The farm is owned by Chantal Agnew, who bought it from her parents in 2004, and opened Bon Boeuf in 2015. They raise Angus, Hereford, and shorthorn-cross cattle, along with eggs and pork. This past summer, they branched out and opened a small bistro where they served sandwiches and salads. This was well-received, so they decided to seize the opportunity and take the next steps.
Agnew had acquired an old house across the street from Boutique Bon Boeuf. This gave them the chance to open Bon Vivant: a table champêtre that has both a restaurant and lodgings for visitors to stay in. Catherine Frenette, the co-founder and executive chef of Bon Vivant, says “We said, ‘go big or go home – let’s do it’ and we decided to start a table champêtre with products from Bon Boeuf. The rest of the products we use are products from the region.”
Bon Vivant has three rooms that are available for rent on Airbnb. Frenette explains that “They are shared in the house, and you have access to the house and the grounds outside to walk near the river; you can go see the cows.” Having the opportunity to stay in the area overnight means that visitors have the chance to explore more of the community. “It’s a way to connect the neighbourhood. And the more time people spend in the region, the more they consume local products,” Frenette says.
To Frenette, highlighting local products and landmarks is a given. “I sincerely think that if we don’t connect people with the food that we grow, it’s just the big businesses that will take over and the small family farmers won’t have anything left.” Bon Vivant is rooted in agritourism and having one business like theirs succeed in the region helps all businesses succeed. Oftentimes, people will visit Bon Vivant and then ask for recommendations of other places to visit or eat at nearby.
Bon Vivant also has plans to start organizing workshops this year. They experimented with a few different kinds of workshop structures in the fall, and plan to take the winter slow before bringing back workshops later this year. “There will be slots of time open for two hours that you can book with me and choose your subject. It will be more personalized. If you want to come with friends, you can; if you want to come alone, you can.” The topics will be varied and up to the person booking to decide. Plus, Frenette also explains that she hopes to bring in other producers in the area to give their own workshops as well.
To learn more or to book, visit www.jesuisbonvivant.com.