Two generations and counting, our family have built an incredible restaurant legacy through our 54 years of lovingly serving our guests.
There are some things we are well known for including our soulful meals and warm hospitality. Our best ingredients are quite simply our incredible restaurant team who show up every day determined to create memorable dining experiences for our valued guests. Using locally sourced quality ingredients, we are proud of our attention to the details and the genuineness of how we care for our guests.
Where it all began. With Yvonne and Roland Larkin, Our Founders
Our inspiration for being the best that we can be at Chez Yvonne’s rests with Roland and Yvonne Larkin, our founders. Roland and Yvonne shared an important philosophy. Success from Day One onward will always put our guests at the centre of all that we do.
From developing signature desserts from scratch to growing our own turkeys for our famous Larkin turkey dinners, creating quality food will be at the heart of what we do. Fast forward 53 years later, we continue to deeply care about our guests, our team, our local producers, and the positive impact we create in our community and province. From all of us at Chez Yvonne’s, we welcome you to create some memories with us in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Our Story of Place, History and Tradition
In Central PEI north end fronting on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where the coast alternates between bold cliffs and long reaches of sand dunes, lies the beautiful community of Cavendish. Just inside the coastline rests peaceful lakes surrounded by low-lying, fertile fields, and groves of evergreen, making one of the prettiest pastoral scenes to be found anywhere.
Cavendish was founded in 1790 by three families who emigrated from Scotland – the MacNeils, the Clarks and the Simpsons. The 1790s in Cavendish were years of beginnings with the transportation evolving from horseback to horse and buggy with the building of roads. Telegraph communication emerged forty years later and then another forty-six with the introduction of the telephone. Lacking a harbour, Cavendish was primarily a small farming community throughout the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. Over many decades as the community grew in industry diversity and a growing population came the evolution of country stores and supporting businesses to sustain the foundations of agriculture and fishing industries.
From the beginning to present day the natural beauty of the Cavendish area has attracted locals and visitors alike. Stunning coastal vistas, family-friendly attractions, beautiful beaches, scenic golf courses, a food and retail experience mecca and home to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables novels, Cavendish has evolved present day as PEI’s iconic destination. It’s incredible draw as an authentic destination has permeated hearts and minds seeking to create special moments and memories in Prince Edward Island.
Our Home
Cavendish is the home and location of Chez Yvonne’s Restaurant, a 54-year-old 2nd generation family business named after its matriarch, Yvonne Larkin. By her side in the establishment of this iconic business was husband Roland. With a vision, perseverance, an impressive work ethic and drive to succeed, Chez Yvonne came to life under the loving direction and hard work of these fearless owners.
The painstaking details of establishing their vision for the Restaurant were meticulously approached by Roland and Yvonne as they initiated the project and documented its establishment. It began with the securing of the land to build in its present-day location at Civic Number #8947 Route 6, Cavendish.
Present day, it is hard to imagine the restaurant building permit cost was .50 cents. Perhaps just as hard to believe that the property was purchased from Lowell Wyand for $2,000. That was a lot of money over 50 years ago.
The decades have passed with Chez Yvonne’s excellent reputation for seafood and steaks driving Islanders and visitors to the front doors for an iconic dining experience.
The business has continued to grow and flourish with a tremendous amount of success built on a great reputation for delicious food and downhome friendly Island Hospitality. Present day, Roland and Yvonne’s son Paul and wife Linda have continued to grow and evolve the growing menu with expanded food choices sourced from local producers. The recipe for success at Chez Yvonne’s remains rooted in its signature dishes and made from scratch approach to producing quality food.
Working with excellent local producers, the kitchens of Chez Yvonne come alive with buzz everyday as dishes are prepared from scratch and served with pride.
The Larkin family’s commitment to quality is unwavering as guests have come to enjoy time and time again. Simply put, the Larkin family name is synonymous with fantastic local food and wonderful hospitality. Ask any Islander about the Larkin family in PEI and you will be greeted with a recognition of their ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional experience to their valued guests.
Paul and Linda continue to enhance the Chez Yvonne restaurant experience through ongoing investing in modernizing their décor, systems, equipment, and processes with the guest experience always at the center of decisions. Chez Yvonne’s continues to be a highlight summer dining experience for locals and visitors alike and one of the most highly recommended restaurants in Prince Edward Island.
