Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar sees strong growth following Centropolis opening (Photos)

Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar continues to soar in Quebec’s competitive dining scene, with its latest location in Centropolis, Laval off to a strong start and expansion plans already underway.

The brainchild of co-founder and president Lorne Schwartz as well as co-founder George Massouras, is setting the stage for significant growth with the recent highly-successful opening of its second location in Laval’s vibrant Centropolis district.

The company also recently celebrated its fourth year.

“We opened our doors in January of 2025. And the response has been incredibly good,” said Schwartz. “It’s just a great vibe. I think the brand fits perfectly with the demographics there. So far, it’s been a great success—knock on wood.”

With its flagship location in Montreal’s West Island thriving since opening four years ago, Birdhouse is now setting its sights on new markets and formats. “We’re looking at what’s next. We have a few ideas in the works—maybe more around the QSR space. I don’t want to call it a spinoff of Birdhouse, but similar food, downsized menu, more dense locations, and so on,” said Schwartz. “There’s a good chance we’ll look at raising money in 2026 to expand more quickly.”

The brand has already secured a third location in downtown Montreal, though Schwartz was not ready to reveal the exact site. “We’ve signed a location for downtown. That’ll happen toward the end of the year, but we’ll probably open our doors in spring 2026. I don’t want to name the location just yet, but it’s a great spot downtown, and we’re really excited about it.”

Founded in Montreal, Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar has stood out in a crowded foodservice market by focusing on a targeted and elevated dining experience. “It’s so difficult to stand out in a crowded market, and I think we’ve hit on a concept that people really gravitate to,” said Schwartz. “We are laser-focused. It’s not easy—not just as a restaurateur, but as a businessperson—to stay focused on what works and not try to go too broad.”

He added, “I believe that when you go too broad, you alienate your core base. And you won’t know that until it’s too late… You’ll just see the numbers decline and won’t know why.”

While this is Schwartz’s first foray into restaurant ownership, his previous background in tech serving the foodservice industry has informed his operational strategy. “As long as we stay focused on the brand—which is high-quality food in a fun and vibrant setting, and really give unreasonably good hospitality and service—people are gravitating toward it. They want value.”

“If you take five minutes to look at our reviews—I’d encourage you to do that—they back up what I’m saying. People want service, quality, a fair price, and entertainment. We’ve been delivering all of that at a high level.”

Birdhouse’s concept centers on a higher-end wing and bar experience, something Schwartz felt was missing from the Montreal market. “I’ve been wanting to do this for 30 years… I literally typed out an email to the guys at Hooters of America asking if they wanted to branch out into Canada. And they basically said, ‘Where the hell’s Canada?’”

While wings are a staple in many other Canadian cities like Calgary and Toronto, Schwartz noted Montreal had never had a full-service concept dedicated to wings at its core—until now. “Everyone has wings as an appetizer, but no one had it as the core,” he said. “We really spent time working the product, developing the sauces, and making it an upscale experience. And it’s resonated well.”

Unlike typical sports bars or wing chains, Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar attracts a broad and often surprising demographic. “We’ve created an environment… we consistently believe that 60–65% of our clients are women,” Schwartz shared. “You wouldn’t see that at (other similar establishments).”

“If you ask me why, I think it’s because we’ve kept a safe, fun environment, with fun and elevated cocktails, a better guest experience—and they love that.”

And with no clear rival in Montreal’s wing-forward dining niche, Birdhouse plans to continue capitalizing on its head start. “To date, we’re still kind of the only game in town in this specific market segment,” said Schwartz. “So we’re going to ride it as long as we can.”