MONTREAL – The owner of Chez Alexandre on Peel Street is rallying against regulations from the City of Montreal that require him to put outdoor seating on the far side of the sidewalk, near the street.
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Alain Creton insists it’s extremely unsafe and called the City of Montreal “a municipal dictatorship.”
“If you take off the terrace from a bistro, you’re not a bistro anymore,” Creton insisted.
Creton’s restaurant has had outdoor seating adjacent to the restaurant’s windows for the last 40 years.
When questioned about the terrace regulations, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre noted that other restaurants on the street don’t have a problem with the rules.
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Creton first went head-to-head with the borough of Ville-Marie last year over the same issue, but reached a compromise.
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In his view, it is dangerous to put patrons near vehicle traffic and force wait staff to cross a busy sidewalk to serve them.
Coderre has indicated that the city will not bend, saying restaurants like Creton’s must create a passageway of almost two meters between the restaurant and outdoor seating.
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