POINTE CLAIRE — It was a West Island landmark for half a century. Now, the gates of the Fairview Deli are closed, and a bankruptcy notice hangs in the window.
Over the years, the iconic eatery on the ground floor of the Fairview Pointe-Claire Shopping Centre built a loyal clientèle. Many appreciated the sit-down style restaurant; a contrast with the mall’s busy food court.
“Well, I kind of like to be here,” said Nancy Hanson, an American who made a point of visiting the Deli every time she was in town. “It’s nice, it’s better than the food court. I like coming to sit down. And I can get a glass of wine here also!”
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“If another local business were to replace it, that would be great,” said Natsha Gucciardi who works in the mall. “But with a retail location like this, I doubt that would be a possibility. I don’t know if I would consider it a landmark but it’s been here a really long time, since the Fairview Pointe-Claire mall opened.
“It’s definitely going to be a different mall from this point on.”
“It used to be packed up. You had to line up to get in,” said Barbara Cheetham, who grew up in NDG and remembers family outings to the Fairview Deli in the 1970s.
“It was a real family restaurant for years and years. Super sad it’s closing, but in this day and age you have to constantly reinvent yourself to keep up.”
Many also took to Global Montreal’s Facebook page to express their sadness in the end of an era.
Global News contacted the owner for comment, but he declined our request for an interview.
It isn’t yet clear what will replace the Fairview Deli, but many believe it will be a difficult void to fill in the West Island community.
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