Arcade Fire know good food, and have combined their culinary passion with their heritage for a new endeavor: Win Butler and Regine Chassagne are opening up a Haitian restaurant in Montreal.
The duo have said the art- and cuisine-focused space, named Agrikol, will open this summer. “Win and I have always been dreaming of a Haitian place in Montreal,” said Chassagne, who is partnering with Roland Jean and Jen Agg, the spousal team behind Toronto restaurants Rhum Corner, the Black Hoof, and the Cocktail Bar.
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Butler elaborated further: “It’s more of an art project. The idea is that it’s a cultural space. The thing that we were really impressed with at Rhum Corner is that it’s this space for Haitian and Caribbean culture and it’s really cool and contemporary. Régine’s family moved to Montreal from Haiti, like a lot of Haitians, and moving to this tundra, you know…”
Chassagne’s homeland has long been a focal point for the band, who dug out their inspiration there for their last record, 2013’s Reflektor. They also got highly involved in fundraising efforts for Haiti in their recent crises.
Photo: Johnny Firecloud
