MONTREAL – It’s the end of an era…sort of.
Copoli, the greasy spoon that has served hungry commuters in Notre-Dame-de-Grace for the last 27 years, is relocating.
“The other restaurant is going to be open, maximum, before the end of March,” owner Nader Zarkari told Global News.
“So, we move everything here to there and we start a brand new restaurant after 27 years.”
Loyal Copoli customers won’t have to go too far though.
The restaurant is moving just a few minutes away to the corner of Sherbrooke and Grey streets, near Westmount, where the former Liquid Lounge was located.
READ MORE: NDG’s Copoli closing its doors
For decades, Zarkari had the ideal location, right across the street from the Vendôme metro station.
He said a dispute with his landlord over how much to pay in taxes is forcing him out.
“They don’t want to pay their property tax. They’re charging their property tax to my business tax,” Zarkari said.
But landlord Anthony Kyriopoulos said Zarkari is exaggerating his claim.
“I don’t know where he gets property tax from,” Kyriopoulos said.
” I mean [we use] the formula that the city had implemented years back and they pay the business tax.”
Even though Copoli is getting a new lease on life, Zarkari can’t help but feel sad at having to say good-bye.
“It’s very sad to let go,” he said.
“But we can do it in the other place. We are going to make it.”