Grilled Cheese Store MLT DWN Could Be Melting Down — and Other Closures

MONTREAL AND BEYOND — “Grilled cheese, but fancy” mini-chain MLT DWN may not be long for this world, as the company appears to have filed for bankruptcy. Sort of. One of two MLT DWN-affiliated companies registered with the government has filed for bankruptcy under its legal name (9000844 Canada Inc.) — but another company also listed under MLT DWN and the same owners (Rahim and Alykhan Moloo) remains intact. The company, with the legal name 9317643 Canada Inc. is registered at the same Ottawa address as the bankrupt MLT DWN. In any case, something is going down as kitchen equipment from a MLT DWN location is up for auction this week, and the Ottawa and Laval locations of the restaurant are confirmed closed. However, the Plateau location (on Mont-Royal) remains open, although with a for lease sign in the window (on Twitter, the company said the location is moving downtown). The Kingston location is also still open.

SAINT-HENRI — Breakfast spot and creator of the poutine bagel Bagel St-Henri is closed temporarily after owner Volker Schmoe’s partner Mario tragically died by suicide last Friday, according to a post from Schmoe on the restaurant’s social media. Schmoe later posted again to say that he was looking to sell the restaurant following the death.

PARC-EXTENSION — Co-op café, show and arts space L’Artère has shut down, citing rent increases and an inability to get a bar permit as two of the main reasons for the closure, saying that being able to operate more like a salle de spectacle would have made a difference. L’Artère was one of very few co-op café-type spaces in the city; the people behind one other, Touski, announced back in June that they were at risk of being evicted. In a Facebook post, the collective behind L’Artère encouraged its customers to support other culturally-minded independent spaces, naming Le Divan Orange, Touski, La Passe, Casa del Popolo, Les Katacombes, La Place Commune, and Le Bâtiment 7.

HOCHELAGA-MAISONNEUVE — 77-year-old Italian neighbourhood spot Ristorante La Dora has closed. It was kept within the same family for the entire seven-plus decades of business. According to the Mercier-Anjou Flambeau, La Dora has (somewhat ominously) been purchased by a cemetery, although the new owners do not plan to demolish the building.

GRIFFINTOWN — Notre-Dame Italian BYOB La Trattoria is on death watch — owner Ted Dranias told CJAD’s Shuyee Lee that the familiar Montreal tale of endless roadworks and painful bureaucracy mean he’s putting the restaurant on the market. He says he’d also sell his neighbouring Greek restaurant Petros if he could get a decent offer.

NDG — One less taco option in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce as Taco Bar Monkland has shut up shop, slapping a for lease sign in the window.

CHINATOWN — Szechuan restaurant Hong Kong has shut its doors — it was recently replaced with the rather bubbly Café Unique17, selling bubble tea and egg puff waffles.

NDG — One of the city’s few Korean barbecue options, Chez Hwang closed up a few weeks back, with the loveliest message from one of the owners to the restaurant’s regulars.

PETITE-PATRIE — After a year and a half, St-Zotique Street Moroccan restaurant K’Moon has reportedly closed its doors, according to Chowhounders. Calls to the restaurant to confirm inauspiciously went unanswered.

DOWNTOWN — Baker of Middle Eastern treats Le Four Magique on Mackay Street has closed its doors.

LITTLE ITALY — Very French imported and gourmet goods store Épicerie Brimbelle has closed down.

PLATEAU — Modern burger spot ART: brgr (alternatively, Art Burger) is permanently closed.

Seen any bankruptcy notices or papered-over windows in your neighbourhood? Tell us about it.

• C’est la fin pour Ristorante La Dora [Metro]
• Downtown restaurant owner throws in the towel, blames city bureaucracy [CJAD]
• EVOO Shuts Its Doors in St-Henri — and Other Closures [Updated] [EMTL]