For 75 years, renowned Montreal smoked meat shop Lester’s Deli was just for locals. That all changed when it recently opened its first U.S. location—not in New York, LA or Chicago, but in Henderson, in August.
This new era began two years ago, when owner Kevin Fung discussed the potential expansion with longtime friend and Quebec-born Las Vegas musician Jean-Francois Blais. After two decades of working on Cirque du Soleil productions like Zumanity and Mad Apple, Blais was all-in on adding deli co-owner to his resume.
“For me, it was about bringing home to Vegas,” Blais says. “This is comfort food for us in Quebec, so it was about bringing some of that for me and the Canadians that live here, and also introducing Americans to what really is a Montreal staple.”…