Page 19 - 06_September-2024

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The Marc 2.0
A beloved downtown standard changes hands
by LAUREN KALINOWSKI + photos COOPER & O’HARA
JILLIAN FONTEYNE AND SCOTT DOWNEY
TIMING IS NEVER PERFECT, but Jillian Fonteyne and Scott Downey doubled down when they had a second child, a little boy they welcomed last November — and took on a second restaurant in the spring of 2024.
The owners of The Butternut Tree expanded their family by purchasing The Marc from Patrick and Doris Saurette. The Saurettes are retiring after running The Marc since 2010, and Il Portico before that. It’s a different experience for Fonteyne and Downey as they expand from The Butternut Tree, carrying on an Edmonton icon rather than a new restaurant from scratch.
The couple were looking to expand and waited for the right opportunity.
“It’s all about balance,” Downey says. “We can have our work, and we can have our family, and we can have time for both.”
The Butternut Tree offers a high-end night-out offering, and The Marc is a place where patrons can stop in a couple times a week for business lunches or casual dinners. Both have ingredient- focused menus, and the guest dining experience is the most important consid- eration to Fonteyne and Downey.
The Marc only closed for two days in between ownership handover, and no staff member left.
“We’re honoured,” Fonteyne says. “They handed off their baby to us and we wanted them, and Edmonton, to know we would take care of it. We love to eat here too.”
Since May there have been some tweaks to The Marc, like new point-of-sale tech- nology and reservation management to match operations at The Butternut Tree. It’s been a patient approach observing the rhythms of the restaurant. With a focus on clientele and guest experience, they are implementing slight adjustments,
like introducing new beverages and wine when the stock runs out.
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