From 6 to 35 employees in 3 weeks: How Poulet Frit Wong scaled with Humi by Employment Hero

The rise of Poulet Frit Wong

In just 12 months, Poulet Frit Wong grew from a six-person ghost kitchen to a multi-location restaurant in Quebec, with more than 35 employees and plans for up to 10 new outlets in the next year. Founder Maxim Bouchard credits Humi by Employment Hero with giving him the confidence to scale quickly while keeping HR, payroll and compliance under control.

Maxim Bouchard isn’t your typical restaurant founder. Before launching Poulet Frit Wong, he was an Olympic diver for Team Canada, competing at the highest levels for 25 years. After retiring, he ran a marketing agency – skills that now fuel the brand’s playful social media presence and fast growing fan base.

“With my athlete background, I’ve got the drive, I’ve got the motivation, I’ve got all the grit. And having the right partners like Humi by Employment Hero made it so much simpler to scale my business with and not have to worry about the admin side of running a business.”

His story with Poulet Frit Wong started just a year ago.

“We started by doing delivery only a few hours a day from a ghost kitchen. It picked up really well, so after six months, we opened our first brick and mortar location. Just recently, we opened a second one.”

The hook? A menu that’s 100% gluten-free fried chicken. A rare find in Quebec’s restaurant scene.

“It reaches a big demographic that is normally not addressed. No one in the market does what we do. So it’s very niche and it’s very good chicken.”

Scaling a workforce overnight

Like many hospitality businesses, growth meant an immediate need for staff. But in Poulet Frit Wong’s case, that need came fast.

“Up until mid-August, we only had around six employees. But when we opened our second location, we went from six to about 30 or 35 employees within three weeks.”

In Quebec’s restaurant industry, turnover and part-time work are the norm. Many of Poulet Frit Wong’s team members already have full-time jobs, but join because they believe in the brand or want to give back to the Celiac community. Managing this mix of part-timers and full-timers could have been messy, but Humi by Employment Hero streamlined the process, especially when it came to onboarding.

“When we decided to scale, Humi by Employment Hero made it really easy to onboard our team of over 30 whilst keeping all staff paperwork in one place. It made growing our team very simple and easy.” 

Why compliance is everything in Quebec

Payroll and HR admin can be challenging in any industry, but in Quebec, it’s a whole new level. The province has some of the strictest labour and tax regulations in North America, with unique provincial rules that don’t always align with federal standards. For restaurants, where many employees are casual or part-time, ensuring accuracy is critical.

“There are some strict laws in Quebec. So the fact that Humi by Employment Hero can help us navigate these laws and payroll compliance have been really helpful.”

For Maxim, Humi by Employment Hero’s ability to automatically account for Quebec’s specific laws gave him peace of mind.

“Humi by Employment Hero is like a one-stop shop. We’ve got all our HR, payroll and time off requests in one place. And the fact that the platform accommodates the Quebec laws – that made choosing Humi by Employment Hero easy.”

Freeing up time for expansion

Running a restaurant is a balancing act that involves inventory, suppliers, customer experience and now, franchise negotiations. With HR and payroll automated, Maxim can focus on what really matters: scaling his business.

“Not having to worry about the employment stuff has just made our lives much more simple. I can focus on negotiating with our future franchisees and working on our expansion plan. We’re looking to have maybe five to 10 new locations within the year.”

That shift is huge for a founder wearing many hats. Instead of spending hours every pay cycle trying to process wages, Maxim logs into Humi by Employment Hero, runs payroll and gets back to growth.

“We use Humi by Employment Hero every other week to get payroll done. It’s very simple and saves a lot of time.”

A seamless mobile experience for everyone

Although still new for many staff, Humi by Employment Hero’s Work App is already proving its worth.

“From their side, no one’s complained. It’s been easy to use the mobile app. They can access everything they need from their phone and staff find it very useful.”

For a workforce made up largely of students and part-timers, the ability to check payslips, manage time off and update details on their phone is both practical and empowering.

Building more than a chicken shop

What sets Poulet Frit Wong apart from the food is its movement behind it. Maxim’s background in marketing means their brand identity is as strong as their menu.

“We’re not the first one to make chicken and we won’t be the last. But it’s just how you make it different and how you have fun with it. You don’t really see so much about the food. It’s more about the community and the environment.”

This combination of passion, grit and smart systems has positioned Poulet Frit Wong as one of Quebec’s most exciting hospitality success stories, with Humi by Employment Hero backing them.

Ready to see how Humi by Employment Hero can make work easier and more valuable for your hospitality business? Book a demo with one of our business specialists today.