Marché Ferdous may long have gone unnoticed in Montreal, but a simple act of kindness is putting it on the map.
For the past four months, the restaurant, located at 1451 Sainte-Catherine Street Ouest near Concordia University, has been offering free food to the hungry on a good faith basis.
The idea emerged when those working at the restaurant decided they wanted to help the many homeless people who gather near the church next door.
Rather than giving them money, the team at Marché Ferdous decided to start their free food program.
“We do not ask any questions, we do not judge people,” said the restaurant’s co-owner, Yahya Hashemi.
“They want to eat, [we] give them the food. That’s it, that’s all.”
The generous project had received little attention until Monday evening when Sean Jalbert, a Montreal resident who works down the street, heard about the promise for free food and decided to test it out for himself.
“I thought there would obviously be a catch to it, and there wasn’t,” Jalbert told Global News.
He paid for his food – saying he could afford to – and then posted about his experience on Facebook.
The post has already been shared thousands of times.
“A sandwich can really make someone’s day, especially if they’re hungry,” said Jalbert.