Quebec Language Law for Restaurants: What You Actually Need to Know

The OQLF received more than 10,000 complaints in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Nearly half were about the right to be served in French, mostly in Montreal. That's a 149% increase over five years. If you're running a restaurant in Quebec, language compliance isn't optional. But the existing guides are written for corporate legal teams, not for the person printing menus on Tuesday.

This is the restaurant-specific guide. Seven touchpoints, the actual rules, and what they mean in your dining room.

What changed with Bill 96

Bill 96 (now called Law 14) was adopted in June 2022 and amended the Charter of the French Language. It strengthened French language requirements across Quebec businesses. The biggest changes for restaurants took effect on June 1, 2025.

Here's what shifted:

Signage got stricter. French text on exterior signs must now occupy at least twice the visual space of any other language. Before Bill 96, French just had to be "predominant." Now the ratio is explicit: 2:1 minimum. That applies to your storefront sign, your sandwich board, your patio banner, and your window decals.

Digital became a compliance zone. Websites, social media posts, email newsletters, and apps are now classified as "commercial publications" under the law. The same rules that applied to your printed brochure now apply to your Instagram bio and your online menu.

Penalties increased. Fines range from $3,000 to $30,000 per violation for businesses, and each day a non-compliant sign or website stays up counts as a separate offence. Second offences double the fine. Third offences triple it.

The OQLF got more inspection power. The office can now investigate proactively, not just respond to complaints. They can check your website, review your signage, and audit your workplace language practices.

Your menu: what goes on it and in what language

Your menu must be available in French. Full stop. You can also offer it in English, Mandarin, Arabic, or any other language, but the French version must exist and it can't be less prominent than any other version.

Bilingual menus are common and fine. Most Montreal restaurants run bilingual French-English menus. The rule is that French text must be at least as legible, visible, and prominent as the other language. In practice, this means: same font size, same placement, same quality of paper if you're printing separate versions.

What about foreign food terms?

This is where it gets interesting. In 2013, an OQLF inspector sent a warning letter to Buonanotte, an upscale Montreal Italian restaurant, for using "pasta," "antipasti," and "calamari" on its menu without French equivalents. The owner went public. The backlash was immediate and widespread. Francophones and anglophones alike called it absurd. The head of the OQLF resigned. The incident became known as Pastagate.

After Pastagate, the OQLF reformed its approach. Inspectors were given more discretion, and complaints are now evaluated based on whether they affect an individual or concern the general public.

So where does that leave you today?

Widely recognized culinary terms are generally fine. Pasta, sushi, dim sum, naan, pho, burrito, hummus: these are understood across languages and the OQLF treats them as borrowed terms. You don't need to write "pates alimentaires" instead of "pasta" on your menu.

Descriptive text needs French. If your menu says "Grilled salmon with roasted vegetables and a lemon butter sauce," that description needs a French version. The dish name can stay in its original language, but what it contains and how it's prepared should be accessible in French.

The practical approach: List the dish name (in whatever language fits your concept), then describe it in French first, English second. Or run a fully bilingual menu with both descriptions side by side. Either works.

Menu Element	Rule	Example
Dish name (foreign culinary term)	Accepted as-is if widely recognized	"Pad Thai," "Risotto," "Poutine"
Dish description	Must be in French (can be bilingual)	"Crevettes sautees, basilic thai, arachides"
Section headings	Must include French	"Entrees / Starters"
Allergen information	Must be in French	"Contient: noix, produits laitiers"
Prices	Language-neutral	"$24"

Your signage: the 2:1 rule

Since June 1, 2025, exterior signage must show French text at least twice as large as text in any other language. This applies to:

• Your main storefront sign
• Window decals and lettering
• Sandwich boards and sidewalk signs
• Patio signage
• Any exterior banners or posters

If your restaurant name is in English

English (or other non-French) trademarks are still allowed on signage. But there's a catch: you need a French descriptive term alongside it, and that French text must be markedly predominant.

For example, if your restaurant is called "The Golden Spoon," your sign needs something like "RESTAURANT The Golden Spoon" where RESTAURANT is at least twice the size. The French descriptor tells passersby what the business is. The ordering matters too: "RESTAURANT The Golden Spoon" is compliant. "The Golden Spoon RESTAURANT" may not be, because the non-French element leads.

Quick test: Stand across the street from your sign. Can someone who reads only French immediately understand what your business is? If yes, you're likely fine. If no, add a French descriptor.

Interior signage

Interior signs follow the same principle: French must be at least as prominent as any other language. But the enforcement focus is on exterior signage. That said, your specials board, directional signs ("washrooms," "exit"), and any posted policies should include French.

Your website and online menu

This is the area most restaurant owners miss. Under Bill 96, your website is a "commercial publication." If it's accessible to Quebec consumers, it must be available in French.

What "available in French" means in practice:

• Your homepage, about page, and menu page need French versions (or bilingual content)
• Your online reservation system should offer French
• Your contact page, hours, and location info should be bilingual
• Terms and conditions, privacy policies: French required

What you can do:

Run a bilingual site (most common for Montreal restaurants), or build a proper French version. A toggle between FR/EN is standard. The French version doesn't have to be a separate domain, but it does need to exist, and it can't be a stripped-down afterthought.

The OQLF can inspect your website. They check whether French content exists, whether it's at least as prominent as other languages, and whether key commercial information (menu, hours, booking) is available in French.

Your social media

Yes, social media counts. Instagram posts, Facebook updates, TikTok descriptions, Google Business profile: all commercial publications under Bill 96.

The realistic approach for a restaurant:

Post bilingually. French first, English after. Most Montreal restaurants already do this, and it's become standard practice. Your caption can be: "Nouveau plat ce soir: joues de boeuf braisees au vin rouge. / New tonight: red wine braised beef cheeks."

You don't need to translate every single Instagram story or reel caption. The law targets content aimed at the Quebec public in a commercial context. A quick story showing tonight's mise en place isn't the same as a promotional post advertising a new prix fixe menu.

Google Business Profile: Make sure your business description, hours, and services are in French (at minimum). Google allows bilingual descriptions.

Receipts, invoices, and commercial documents

Every commercial document must be available in French. For a restaurant, that means:

• Receipts: If your POS prints receipts with English-only text ("Thank you for dining with us!"), add a French line or switch to bilingual receipts
• Invoices: For catering, private events, or B2B billing, invoices must be in French or bilingual
• Gift certificates: Must include French
• Loyalty cards and programs: French version required

Most modern POS systems (Square, Lightspeed, Clover) offer bilingual receipt settings. It's usually a five-minute configuration change.

Job postings and hiring

Job postings for positions in Quebec must be in French. You can also post in other languages, but the French posting must exist. This applies to:

• Job ads on your website
• Postings on Indeed, LinkedIn, or industry job boards
• Notices in your restaurant window

You cannot require knowledge of a language other than French unless it's necessary for the job. For a restaurant, requiring English for a server position in a tourist-heavy area might be justified. But requiring English for a dishwasher position probably isn't.

If the OQLF receives a complaint about a job posting that requires English without justification, they'll investigate.

Internal communications and workplace language

If your restaurant has 25 or more employees, you must register with the OQLF for a francisation process. That means French must be the language of work, including:

• Staff meeting communications
• Work schedules
• Internal memos and notices
• Training materials
• Health and safety postings (these are already required in French under CNESST rules)

For restaurants with fewer than 25 employees (most independents), the formal francisation process doesn't apply. But the general principle does: employees have the right to work in French, and you can't penalize someone for not speaking English.

The penalty structure

Offence	Individual Fine	Business Fine
First offence	$700 - $7,000	$3,000 - $30,000
Second offence	Double	Double
Third+ offence	Triple	Triple

Each day of non-compliance after an OQLF order counts as a separate offence. A non-compliant sign that stays up for 30 days after an order could theoretically generate 30 separate fines, though the OQLF typically gives businesses reasonable time to comply.

In practice, the OQLF usually follows this path: complaint received, investigation, warning letter, compliance deadline, then fines if you still haven't fixed the issue. It's not a gotcha system. But ignoring a warning letter is expensive.

The seven-point restaurant compliance checklist

Here's what to review. If you can check these seven boxes, you're in solid shape.

Touchpoint	What to check	Quick fix
Menu	French descriptions for all dishes. French at least as prominent as other languages.	Add French dish descriptions. Run bilingual layout.
Exterior signage	French text at least 2x the size of other languages. French descriptor if name is non-French.	Resize French text. Add "RESTAURANT" or equivalent.
Website	French version exists. Menu, hours, booking available in French.	Add FR/EN toggle. Translate key pages.
Social media	Commercial posts include French. Google Business profile in French.	Post bilingual captions. Update profile.
Receipts/documents	Receipts bilingual. Invoices, gift cards include French.	Update POS language settings.
Job postings	French version of every posting. English-only requirement justified.	Post in French first, add English.
Workplace	Staff can work in French. Schedules, notices in French. Register with OQLF if 25+ employees.	Translate internal docs. Check OQLF registration.

What the OQLF actually looks at

The OQLF investigates complaints and conducts proactive inspections. In a restaurant, here's what draws attention:

High-risk triggers: An English-only storefront sign in a francophone neighbourhood. A website with no French content. A job posting requiring English for a kitchen position.

Low-risk situations: A bilingual menu where both languages are equally prominent. A social media account that posts in both languages. Foreign culinary terms on a menu alongside French descriptions.

The common-sense test: The OQLF, post-Pastagate, applies more discretion. They're looking for patterns of non-compliance, not hunting for the word "focaccia." If your restaurant makes a good-faith effort to operate bilingually, you're unlikely to face enforcement action.

That said, "good faith" needs to be visible. A French menu option that's clearly a Google Translate afterthought won't cut it. Invest in proper translation for your key materials.

For anglophone operators opening in Quebec

If you're an English-speaking restaurateur opening in Quebec, or considering it, language compliance isn't a barrier. It's a planning item. Budget for professional translation of your menu, website, and key documents. Factor it into your pre-opening costs alongside permits, insurance, and renovations.

The cost is modest: professional translation for a restaurant menu runs $300-$800 CAD depending on length and complexity. A bilingual website, if you're building from scratch, adds 20-30% to the development cost. These aren't recurring annual fees. You translate once, then update as your menu changes.

And here's the thing most guides won't tell you: operating bilingually is good business in Quebec. Montreal is a bilingual city in practice. Tourists, anglophone locals, and francophone regulars all eat at the same restaurants. A menu that works in both languages isn't just compliant. It's welcoming to everyone who walks through your door.

Sources: OQLF, Charter of the French Language, CBC News, Educaloi, Cassels.

When you're ready to take reservations, Trudy's Table is built for Canadian independents.

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