FRANCOIS LABELLE
Son of Jill, Brother of Deek, Nephew of Todd
Whether you call him Foof, Frenchie, Frankie or Francois, he’s worked at the Laff most of his life, beginning when he was only fourteen years old bussing ashtrays and emptying quart bottles during the Lucky Ron Show. Moving to Vancouver in 2008, he worked in various positions in different restaurants and bars, and earned his WSET level 3 while managing the Wine Room bar at Joey Bentall One. Upon his return to Ottawa in 2014, he was welcomed back to his home here at the Laff with open arms. While his duties are too many to list, his main focus remains on the daily operations of the bar, including things like beer selection (and tasting!), communication with staff and customers as well as ensuring we deliver the highest level of service possible.
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DEEK LABELLE
Daughter of Jill, Sister of Francois, Niece of Todd
Deek Deek Dominique is the General Manager at the Laff, and not unlike her brother, started working here at a young age, serving food in the summertime. She had a small grocery cart equipped with coffee, pastries, and pop, and would go around to all the flower and vegetable vendors on the market, taking lunch orders and getting to know the neighbourhood. Throughout the years, she’s worked nearly every position available in the business: bussing tables, working in the kitchen, bartending, making subs in the Quiznos, bookkeeping, marketing, managing, and so on. In 2007, after completing her diploma in Marketing at Algonquin College, and learning everything about Accounting she could from her late grandfather, Deek found herself in a full time position ushering the bar into the 21st century, adding social media, a website, and managing the staff and accounting. Today, she’s relinquished some control to her supportive family, and continues to manage the marketing, advertising, and oversees all operations for the bar.
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