The last Murrays restaurant (or Eatery) as the Gazette puts it,.is set to close up shop. I know many of our members Remember Murray's and some of them worked in them ( My Mother did too,when she was young) Here's the story from the Gazette today:
In its heyday, there were Murray's restaurants in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto packing in diners, happy to chow down on meatloaf, Jell-O and other comfort foods.
But yesterday the hand-written sign in the window of the last remaining Murray's restaurant, in the Lucerne Shopping Centre in Town of Mount Royal, seemed to indicate the end may be near for the chain, which got its start in 1923.
It read: "Closed for renovations and maintenance."
Since the Murray's restaurant on Sherbrooke St. W. in Westmount closed in 1999, the Murray's eatery in the unassuming T.M.R. strip mall has been the last one standing in the city.
Now, Mounir Yassa, the owner of the T.M.R. Murray's, said he can't carry on and he may have to close, too.
Since 2007, when he bought the restaurant from brothers Peter and Shrief Nasr, Yassa said, he has lost more than $150,000 - an average of between $8,000 and $12,000 a month.
"I know the story," Yassa said. "I've tried to keep it going for these reasons, but I can't put anything more into it."
Yassa, who operated the restaurant with his wife, Alyce, and daughter Sylvia, said he is in negotiations with a potential buyer, "someone who wants to buy it and change everything inside."
"I should know by Friday," Yassa said.
But even with a new buyer, there may be another hitch that could stand in the way and yet spell the end of the Murray's franchise.
In 2007, the strip mall was purchased with another building and lot in the area by First Capital Holdings Corp. for $16.5 million.
Margo Schieke, a mall administrator, said the present restaurant owner has a seven-year lease with First Capital, but it may not be transferrable.
"It's sad," said Robert Maroun, owner of Mes Yeux, Tes Yeux, an optometrist in the Lucerne Shopping Mall.
Over the years, Maroun said, he has marvelled at Murray's loyal customers, people like Madeleine Boosamra, a T.M.R. nonagenarian who until recently ate three times a day at the restaurant.
"Every breakfast, every lunch, every dinner, she was there," Maroun said. "When I think of Murray's, these are the people I think of.
"But demographically, it's over for Murray's."
HF&RV
17 comments:
I remember this Murrays restaurant very well. I worked at Robin Hood Flour when they had their main office on the second floor of the Lucerne shopping centre. A bunch of us would go regularly to Murrays - not so much for lunch but for Break times. We all thought that their Mary Anne cake with blueberry compote and ice cream was the best treat ever. Murrays also had an arrangement with Murrays where a lady with a big coffee urn on a cart would walk through the office twice a day selling coffee and tea - no food though. That's why we had to go there to get the goodies.
HF&RV
Robin
Neat recall there Robin,Thanks for the input,.I think one of our members or a couple of them worked for Murray's (but that may have been on the old site,I can't remember) I know we have posted a few photo's over time showing the StCatherine Street Murray's.........I will try to find them & post them again........ HF&RV
Hello All,
I started working for Murray's Restaurant on Sherbrook street in Westmount in 1964 as a bus boy. I worked my way up to the steam table and short order cook, also filling in at the different locations as well... Sun Life cafeteria, St Catherine street location as well as the West Sherbrook location near Cavendish.
This was the best job of my life.... as far as people and atmosphere. Hard to believe for $0.90 per hour then on to $1.10, 48 hous per week plus overtime, was offered second chef at $1.25 per hour! They deducted $0.70 per day for 3 meals. The food was great!
Girl friends to remember was Maria Matta also Lorraine Chislette, Both worked for Murray's Restaurant as well.
The manager Mr. Noseworthy was a great manager. The chef was Andre Legault, the night chef was Mike Panagopoulous.
I left in 1968, my family moved to Vancouver BC.
Does anyone remember any of the other staff?
Cheers George
My dad worked across the street at alan singers used to eat there at that time
I’m looking for Joseph Violi, apparently he worked or owned Murray’s, does anyone have any info about that?
Thanks
I found among our parents things the special menus they printed to support the armed forces during WWII. one for each branch and i guess you asked for the branch that your family served in. Wonder if anybody would do similar today ?
Mom was a 'Murray Girl' at the Toronto location on Dundas in the early 50's. Small town girl from New Brunswick & her first job in the big city.
One of her most favourite jobs ever.
She said that the training the waitresses received was second to none. Training that was marketable. Once she left there, whenever she applied for a waitress job anywhere in Canada, as she traveled west, she just had to mention that she had been a Murray Girl & she would be hired virtually on the spot.
I like hearing your story of your Mom having worked at Murray's and getting training.
My Mom also worked at Murray's (Montreal) and many times over the years I always had a lot of people over to my house for Sunday dinner every week and my Mom's was self designated to put all the silverware out for each place,and she always placed a folded napkin with the cutlery as well as place all the dinner plates on the table,she would remark that she had been trained at Murray's..........funny the things we remember. She would do the setting of the table as like she said "That was her job"
Even at home she would set the table. Covid stopped our large family gatherings,and so that job of hers ended for that year.She just left the planet last November at 100 years old. Thanks for sharing your story and reminding of my Mom.
Cheers ! Les
Does anyone remember the colour of the uniforms the waitresses wore? I mention them in a memoir I am writing about growing up in Verdun.
Thanks,
Kathryn
Hi Kathryn,
The uniforms were light blue with a white apron and white collar. I worked at Murray's at 962 Ste Catherine St.in the 60s it was across from Simpson's at that time. I was working as a bus-girl cleaning tables while I was in High School and in the summer I worked full-time and that's why I remember the colour of the uniforms. What I miss the most from the menu of Murray's was the Steamed fruit pudding with the white sauce that they served during the winter holidays. MMM, it was delicious!
Gail
Hi Kathryn,
The uniforms were light blue with a white apron and white collar. I worked at Murray's at 962 Ste Catherine St.in the 60s it was across from Simpson's at that time. I was working as a bus-girl cleaning tables while I was in High School and in the summer I worked full-time and that's why I remember the colour of the uniforms. What I miss the most from the menu of Murray's was the Steamed fruit pudding with the white sauce that they served during the winter holidays. MMM, it was delicious!
Gail
Dear Kathryn,
The uniforms were light blue with white apron & collar. I started working at the 962 Ste Catherine store across from Simpson's in the 60s. I worked as a bus-girl cleaning tables after school during my high school years. The following summer I worked full time, that's why I remember the colour of the uniforms. What I miss from the menu was their Steamed Fruit Pudding with white sauce that they offered during the Christmas holidays. mmmh it was so delicious.
I miss everything about Murray's, the vegetable soup, the rice pudding! I grew up there.
Here is a little more info re Murray's. I was employed by Murray's for a short time during the early 1960's. My duties were as a warehouseman, office clerk, and spare driver. The office and warehouse, including the bakery dept was located near St Paul and St Maurice streets in old Montreal. Supplies including fresh baked goods made in the bakery were delivered twice daily to the various locations around Montreal. Delivery was via Murray's 2 (or 3, I'm not quite sure?) curbside vans, with the Murray's logo painted on the vans. I see mentioned that various locations had different franchise owners but during the time I was employed, there were two owners, one was a Mr Kirby, the other was a Mr Bush (Busch?, not sure of spelling) I think that some of the employees may have had some shares in the business, but, again I am not certain. All locations were quite popular and fairly busy most of the time as I recall, and seniors especially enjoyed dining there. One location that I haven't seen mentioned was in the Laurentian Hotel on Peel/Windsor St, just below Dorchester ( now Rene Levesque).
Murray's also had their own commercial art dept located in their warehouse where they made their own posters, menus, etc.
Just some vague recollections from an 86 year old f--t.
That it is a great recall from in your words (from an 86 year old f--t.), and much appreciated. My Mom actually worked for Murray's way back when and she seemed to like working for them. She was just over 100 when she passed away 2yrs ago, and she was still pretty sharp in the noggan. We need to listen to people who lived and worked years ago,or we will lose the history.
Again thanks for taking your time and sharing your story with us.
Cheers ! Les
My mother Ruth also worked at Murray’s on St. Catherine. In 1968 she was pregnant (with me!) so I kinda worked there too!
Your mother Ruth would be happy and proud to hear that you remember her telling you about her working especially while carrying you.....it seems work ethic and pride in whatever we do is not as appreciated these days.
Thanks for sharing your memories of your Mom working at Murray's and of course Thank You for Surfing By.
Cheers !
Les
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