Nickels was originally created by pop diva
Céline Dion and four friends, who opened their first restaurant in 1990. The name came from Dion and her husband
René Angélil's lucky number, 5. The parent company claims an ongoing business relationship with Dion. Nickels has since expanded to several franchised restaurants located primarily in
Quebec and
Ontario. Originally designed to resemble a typical North American family diner, Nickels redesigned some of its restaurants and introduced a grill and bar concept. The most recent iteration is operating as
Nickels Delicatessen with a deli and bar concept. The restaurant is known for serving
Montreal-style smoked meat. Nickels is now part of the
Foodtastic group of restaurants which also includes
Les Rôtisseries Benny,
La Belle & La Boeuf,
Souvlaki Bar,
Carlos & Pepe's,
Vinnie Gambini's Italian Restaurants,
Bacaro,
Chocolato, Big Rig, Monza and
Au Coq. ==See also==