Thi Tram Nguyen

Fast casual Chez Francois Poutinerie was founded by a Montreal native who sought to bring the authentic poutine experience to the Chicago suburbs. But Thi Tram Nguyen, Owner and Founder, was on a greater mission when concepting her restaurant in 2022. She named it for her son Francois, who is autistic, then set up a training program for employees with functional needs, and developed a work schedule that provides them with three hour work shifts and a peer buddy system. “We want to give back to the community by providing much-needed job opportunities for adults who are developmentally disabled,” says Nguyen.

The menu at Chez Francois Poutinerie features eight poutine variations, including The Montreal, a classic profile with hand-cut fries, cheese curds and house-made gravy. Nguyen describes The Milwaukee as a spin on the classic, where fries are topped with marinara instead of gravy, and the curds are battered and fried. Those crispy cheese curds are what makes The Milwaukee a hit, she says. “We’ve carefully crafted our recipe to ensure that, for this poutine, our cheese curds have the crispiest and most flavorful shell possible,” she says. “Our customers love the flavors and textures in The Milwaukee so much that they’ve started adding fried cheese curds to other menu items.”