MONTREAL – Construction in and around Montreal is nothing new, and local shop and restaurant owners often speak out about the negative effects it has on their businesses.
But, rather than throw their hands up in the air, one restaurant, Hachoir, located at 4177 Saint-Denis St. in Montreal’s Plateau, took a different approach to the never-ending woes of construction and street closures.
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Restaurant owner Alain Dussault opened a “brand new, fully functional” terrace.
“Come visit our new terrace!” the Facebook message reads, inviting people to “have a seat” and be served by waiters.
“It was quiet at the beginning of the shift, so we decided to do it for fun,” Dussault told Global News.
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He said there’s been construction in the area to fix the sidewalks since April.
“Construction is never good for business – access, parking, and the noise,” he said.
“The last few weeks, it was worse. It’s been worse for us because they closed up the front of the restaurant.”
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Construction is expected to be done by the end of July, right in the middle of the summer season.
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“We have a good customer base,” Dussault said.
“We’ve been open for five years, so people are still coming even though parking is hell.”