Crime

New Montreal Restaurant Suffers Burglary, $5,000 in Damages

More troubles for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve merchants

by Ian Harrison May 13, 2016, 10:49am EDT

Via Chez Gargantua [Official Page] and Behold La Tannerie, From P.A. & Gargantua [EMTL]

The owners of Chez Gargantua, a new restaurant and prêt-à-manger counter, should, by all accounts, be on cloud nine. Paul-André Piché, of gourmet grilled cheese food truck P.A. & Gargantua, and partners Antoine Ormandy, Mathieu Ménard, and Rémi Dumas, all of Bar Le Blind Pig, just gave HoMa La Tannerie, a new BYOB. Chez Gargantua, just around the corner from the restaurant, serves as a casual complement to the business, with a menu of Piché's popular grilled cheese sandwiches, and more.

One week after Chez Gargantua's launch, however, a burglary has soured what was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Thieves broke into the restaurant early Thursday, and duly made off with the register, which contained a mere $100. Not a big loss, but the damage done to the business totals close to $5,000, Ménard told a TVA reporter.

It's another unfortunate setback for a new HoMa business. The neighbourhood has suffered a spate of similar incidents lately, and while there's no way to connect this latest crime with recent anti-gentrification vandalism stunts, it does highlight the potential challenges HoMa merchants face. Police are now on the case of the Chez Gargantua theft, and several others committed over the past several weeks in the same area.

In a Facebook statement after the break-in, Chez Gargantua's management wrote (translated): “After only a week, our little baby, Chez Gargantua, was the victim of a burglary, shattered glass, vandalism, and all for less than $100 in cash. It is in these moments that we think: Why? The damage amounts to several thousand dollars, for $100. We will stay strong, we will continue to serve you, continue our passion, and we will overcome. Thank you for your support in these difficult moments.”