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Plateau nonprofit restaurant Robin des Bois has checked in to some new digs after damages caused by a two-alarm fire forced it to shut on Monday, June 28.
Starting today, the restaurant will run its culinary summer day camp out of La Fontaine Park’s unoccupied chalet-restaurant. Robin des Bois shared the news that it had found a new spot to host its aspiring young cooks on Facebook days after it had announced that it would have to suspend the program in the wake of the fire.
According to La Presse, the restaurant will gradually resume other operations out of the park building — owned by the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough — as well, including reopening to the public. It’s been given the go-ahead to occupy the space until at least the end of the summer, while its Boulevard St-Laurent address undergoes repairs.
Despite thousands in recurring financial aid from the borough to help keep it afloat, the park building’s previous tenant, nonprofit organization Espace La Fontaine, has filed for bankruptcy, TVA reported last month. Before that, the borough decided not to renew its lease, which was expiring on April 30, 2021, leaving the pond-side park building vacant for months — until now.
Robin des Bois is temporarily relocating to the space — significantly bigger than its last — for free, CBC reports, quoting borough mayor Luc Rabouin who calls it a “win-win.” Dishes cooked during the day camp get donated to those in need, and all of the restaurant’s profits are channelled back to local charities and organizations like Le Chaînon, Sun Youth, and Santropol Roulant.
