Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Bye Bye Murray's

Some of Our members will feel some nostalgia ,for this story,.Murray's Restaurant is closing for good........  (even my Mom worked there a long time ago,) Oh Well time march's on,perhaps it can be replaced by a nice McDumpy's or something equally as tasteful(or tasteless)

                                

........maybe they can tear it down & make something usefull out of it..............lol

Please share your Murray’s memories in the box at the end of the story.

MONTREAL - Although many had been hoping for a comeback, it appears the city’s last Murray’s Restaurant, in Town of Mount Royal, will not reopen.

Facing bankruptcy, owners of the landmark restaurant in the Lucerne Shopping Mall have applied to a Quebec court for creditor protection.

Among the creditors are TD Canada Trust and First Capital Realty, the corporation that owns the strip mall where the restaurant is located.

“There will be no reopening of Murray’s,” said Mike Ouellette, a Montreal accountant representing Mounir Yassa and his wife, Alice, the restaurant’s owners since in 2007.

Since the restaurant closed at the end of July, Ouellette said, there has been interest from two potential buyers.

But, he added,“it didn’t work out.”

“It’s very unfortunate,” said Louis Voizard, a vice-president with First Capital Realty, one of the restaurant's creditors.

“It was a popular restaurant for many years."

Voizard said the restaurant owes First Capital $36,141 for “rent-related items.”

TD Canada Trust, a second creditor, is owed $211,422, according to court documents.

This summer, Mounir Yassa said, he was well aware of the restaurant’s storied past and, for that reason, he had tried to keep it afloat.

But it was a losing venture that was costing him between $8,000 and $12,000 a month, he said.

After the Murray's restaurant on Sherbrooke St. W. in Westmount closed in 1999, the Murray's eatery in T.M.R. became the last one standing in the city.

The chain, which got its start in the 1920s, once served diners in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

ccornacchia@thegazette.canwest.com

Tell us your Murray's restaurant stories using the comment box below or send us your photo memories by clicking this link.

13 comments:

robert jomphe said...

Please pass on the rice pudding recipe. I used to love it. The most often I ate it was at the bank of commerce building at Peel and Sherbrooke'

Bob Bisnett said...

Steamed fruit pudding during Christmas season. Loved it. Sad to see the last one go.

BobB

Walter Ryan said...

My grandfather loved Murray's. My wife and I were at my aunt's funeral in 1998 and we had breakfast at Murray's on Sherbrooke by Claremont Avenue. Just in time I guess as it closed a year later. I have a good friend in Ottawa who grew up in The Point. Her Dad was a Chef at Murray's Restaurant for most of his working life.

Sandra penner said...

I recall stopping at Murrays on St.Catherine st.on my way to work at "Morgans" now known as The Bay....one morning I stopped for a coffee ,sat down, and thought I was sooo coool at 17 yrs old to light up a cigarette like the grown ups did, well...the book of matches caught fire, and my face was the same color as the flames !! Talk about being embarassed! People tried not to stare,but the red face was blinding them all!! So ,a less was learned and I never did that again in Murrays, but lots of times in Kostas...(smile).....

cookie

Les F said...

That being 'cool' thing doesn't always work




hf&rv

Sandra penner said...

Les, Your so right and soooo funny!

cookie

pauline garneau said...

Hi Cookie It’s a wonder we weren’t thrown out for just sitting there with a coke and a cigarette for hours. When you think of it they were good and tolerant people at Kosta’s .Pauline



Brian Gearey said...

They were and you wouldn't find that happening these days. Brian

Les F said...

We spoke of Labelle BBQ a few months ago, & finally I have come across a shot of the front of the place:


HF&RV

Les F said...

Checkout the far right hand corner .the old Prince of Wales Restaurant....................

HF&RV

Les F said...

Norman's French Fries,...or Norman's Patates Frites,..we got FREE Fries & Hotdogs on the opening day of any Norman's store,....and with my front gallery being almost immediately behind that Norman's sign then you know the mt friends & I made several trips into the front of Normans for some FREE stuff,& out their backdoor,then up the stairs through the shed to my house to scoff up all the Freebies, then a return trip , down my front stairs & back into Normans ......all like it was our first trip, the store was so busy that we got away with it several times ,as invariably a different server would just hand you a hotdog & fries ,in order to get you out quick......Ahhh the great sin of Gluttany.........lol

Les F said...

Ahhh "Da Michelle's used to be just 'MIKE's I had many a 3am Pizza in this place & it was pretty good as I recall,.....upstairs over the restaurant,which was accessed by a side door on Hickson,was a banquet room that could be rented for weddings etc etc ,.....and Lenny Demarte used to be a DJ there playing records all night ...... Anyone remember :Lenny DeMarte ?

HF&RV

pauline garneau said...

Right now that place looks beautiful.Would love to order anything from there.
I'm going to copy the picture to my site. It was forty five years ago in August that my wedding reception was held in Labelle BBQ.Great Souvenir.Thanks Les
Pauline