Le Coin Grec, Beloved Montreal Souvlaki Pioneer, Closes After 39 Years

Tom Klitorinos served his last souvlaki on November 30 at Le Coin Grec, the restaurant his late father Christos started in 1975.

"My dad was one of the first to serve authentic souvlaki in Montreal," a proud Klitorinos said today. "They once featured him on the cover of The Gazette."

When asked why he decided to shutter his restaurant on the corner of Parc and Saint-Joseph Ouest, an unsentimental Klitorinos simply declared that it was time.

"We had a good summer but I had enough. I started working here when I was 16 and now I'm 50. I drive in to work and it takes me 45 minutes to find parking. The city wouldn't grant me a parking sticker even though I own the building. They want to have bicycles everywhere. They're not business-friendly."

Klitorinos reported that Le Coin Grec had only one long-term employee, out of five, left over from his father's time at the Mile End restaurant. Christos Klitorinos passed away in 2006.