Air Canada Pops Up in DC with Poutine and VR Experience

• Poutinerie by Air Canada Pop-Up Combines Food, Travel & Charity

WASHINGTON, Nov 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Air Canada today announced it will open Poutinerie by Air Canada pop-up on Friday, November 9 to entice travelers from the Washington D.C area to explore the world through Air Canada's global network. Air Canada offers easy connections through its Toronto and Montreal hubs from Reagan National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) to more than 200 destinations in Canada and around the globe, including Dubai, Paris, Rome, London and Seoul.

The #AirCanadaFliesThere integrated marketing campaign spans out-of-home advertising, radio and pre-roll video, and, most exciting, a unique pop-up Poutinerie by Air Canada restaurant at 1351 Connecticut Ave NW in Washington DC.

To give visitors a taste of the Canadian, European, Asian, Middle Eastern and South American destinations conveniently accessible from area airports via Air Canada's Toronto and Montreal hubs, Poutinerie by Air Canada offers global twists on the iconic Canadian dish – poutine. Proceeds from the Pop-Up will be donated to a local Washington charity.

"The #AirCanadaFliesThere initiative is designed to connect Washington DC travelers and their spirit of adventure to iconic destinations in Canada, Asia and Europe," said Lisa Pierce, Air Canada Senior Director of US Sales. "As we showcase Air Canada's flight offerings from the US Capital region, we hope to inspire everyone to explore these remarkable destinations, and beyond. We are especially pleased to serve all three Washington DC Metro airports. Most recently, we added direct flights to our hub in Montreal from Dulles and BWI airports. We are truly honored to be a growing part of the Washington DC community, and proud to support the work of Martha's Table by donating all of the proceeds of the poutinerie to the organization."

In addition to classic poutine (French fries, cheese curds, gravy), the Air Canada pop-up Poutinerie will showcase ten unique poutine dishes inspired by destinations across Air Canada's growing global network. These include London's Corner Pub Fish & Chips, malt vinegar dusted chips, crispy fried cod, dill & caper tartar gravy; and Sao Paulo's Sweet Chimi-Churrasco combining sweet potato fries, grilled carne asada, green chimchurri and queso blanco. Each poutine dish costs $5 with drinks priced at $4. Poutinerie proceeds will proudly go to a local nonprofit, Martha's Table, working to increase access to quality education programs, healthy food, and family support. 

"We are grateful for Air Canada's partnership. Funds raised through Poutinerie by Air Canada will support our food and education programs, including our network of 48 monthly pop-up Joyful Food Markets in elementary schools throughout Wards 7 and 8 in DC Joyful Food Markets are no-cost pop-up farmer's markets that extend healthy food access to 15,000 children and families," said Caron Gremont, Senior Director of Healthy Eating, Martha's Table.

After savoring the poutine, visitors to the Poutinerie by Air Canada can "take off" on an Air Canada flight through a virtual reality, on-board experience and enter an Instagram and Twitter competition to win two tickets on Air Canada from DCA, IAD or BWI to any one of Air Canada's over 200 destinations around the globe. Winners will be drawn daily for seven days.

Poutinerie by Air Canada is open to the public starting Friday, November 9, through Thursday, November 15. Hours are 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 217 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served more than 48 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 63 airports in Canada, 56 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 airports in 193 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2018 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

About Martha's Table

For nearly 40 years, Martha's Table has worked to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities by increasing access to quality education programs, healthy food, and family supports. Martha's Table believes that every child deserves the opportunity for their brightest future and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success. For more information about the programs and services offered by Martha's Table, visit www.marthastable.org

Full Poutinerie Menu, $5/Each

• Montreal's Classic (GF) | Hand-cut fries, traditional cheese curds, gravy
• Toronto's The Six (GF) | Sweet potato fries, pork belly, cheese curds, whole grain maple mustard, fresh herb confetti
• São Paulo's Sweet Chimi-Churrasco (GF) | Sweet potato fries, grilled carne asada, green chimichurri, queso blanco
• Rome's Eternal City Eggplant (Vegetarian, GF) | Garlic fries, Napoletana sauce, mozzarella cheese, eggplant ragu, basil chiffonade
• Paris' Brasserie-Born Braised Beef (GF) | Hand-cut fries, braised beef, mushrooms, horseradish cream
• London's Corner Pub Fish & Chips | Malt vinegar dusted chips, crispy fried cod, dill & caper tartar gravy
• Seoul's Twice the Spice Kimchi (Vegan) | Hand-cut fries, kimchi, kohlrabi Asian pear relish, sriracha gravy, cilantro
• Mumbai's Baked & Buttered (GF) | Hand-cut fries, tender butter chicken, grated paneer cheese, diced tomatoes, fresh herbs
• Shanghai's Neon Street BBQ | Shoestring fries, Asian BBQ pulled pork, hoisin gravy, sesame seeds, scallions, vegetable slaw
• Dubai's Late Night Shawarma (GF) | Shoestring fries, chicken shawarma, cucumber & tomato salad, tzatziki-garlic gravy

SOURCE Air Canada