Swiss Chalet

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This article is about the restaurant chain; for the Alpine building see Chalet.

The current logo for Swiss Chalet

Swiss Chalet is a chain of Canadian family restaurants originally founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. There are presently over 200 restaurants in Canada and the United States, as of 2008. It is a division of Cara Operations, which also owns the hamburger chain Harvey's; the two chains frequently share locations. The name Swiss Chalet originates from the design of its original restaurants, which featured exposed beam architecture, resembling a chalet one might find in the Swiss Alps.

The first location was at 234 Bloor Street West in Toronto and was in operation for 52 years. On September 10, 2006 this location permanently closed due to the construction of the One Bedford condominium development.

Swiss Chalet is best known for rotisserie chicken and smoked barbecued ribs, which are traditionally served with such side dishes as potatoes, salads, rice and vegetables. Chicken dishes are also served with Chalet Sauce, a dipping sauce that is somewhat similar to barbecue sauce gravy. Sit-down, drive-through, take-out and delivery services are available. In certain parts of Canada online ordering is available. "Signature Swiss Chalet" sauce, gravy and marinade is available as a powdered mix in Canadian supermarkets.

A popular item is its Quarter Chicken Dinner, featuring a leg or breast quarter piece of chicken with dipping sauce, a roll and a side dish. During the Christmas season a modified version of this dinner is sold as the Festive Special, with stuffing, cranberries, and a chocolate product from a Swiss-based chocolatier, usually Toblerone or Lyndor Truffels. Swiss Chalet has also now expanded its menu to include Santa Fe chicken sandwiches, chicken spring rolls and pierogies.

Major plans for expansion into the United States have been in discussion, with several hundred new locations opening throughout Canada and the United States in the near future. The Swiss Chalet official website lists only three U.S. locations, all in the Buffalo, New York area.

A Swiss Chalet restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Previously present in the province of Quebec as "Chalet Suisse", the chain has ceded that market to St-Hubert, while St-Hubert itself has now largely retreated from English Canada. Manitoba and Saskatchewan also have no Swiss Chalet restaurants.