Chenoy's facts for kids
Chenoy's is a famous restaurant and deli that first opened in Montreal, Quebec, in 1936. A deli is a type of restaurant that serves special foods, often like those found in a Jewish delicatessen. Chenoy's became well-known for its delicious Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich.
History of Chenoy's
Chenoy's started in 1936 in an old Jewish neighborhood in Montreal. This area was on a street called Saint Laurent Boulevard, also known as "the Main." It was close to Rue Marie-Anne. Other famous Montreal delis, like Schwartz's, also began in this area.
Chenoy's was famous for its smoked meat. Over the years, the restaurant grew. They even opened new locations, called franchises, in different parts of the city.
The people at Chenoy's had a fun saying about how hard they worked: "In 1936 we lost the key... so we’ve been working 25 hours a day, 365 days a year ever since to serve you!" This shows their dedication to their customers.
Some of the Chenoy's locations that opened later have since closed. These included restaurants in Lasalle, Quebec, Brossard, and Chomedey (in Laval). The last family member to own part of the business was Mortimer (Morty) Chenoy.
A Chenoy's restaurant also opened in Gatineau in 1997. However, it closed in 2019 and became part of another restaurant chain called Nickels.
The Last Chenoy's Restaurant
The oldest Chenoy's restaurant that is still open today is in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. It is located on Boulevard Saint-Jean. This location first opened in 1974. It was started by Morty Chenoy and two brothers, Nick and Costa Sigounis.
In the mid-1980s, Morty sold his share of the business to the Sigounis family. Morty Chenoy passed away on January 22, 1999.
In 2015, the building where the Dollard-des-Ormeaux restaurant is located was put up for sale. However, the Sigounis family said they wanted to keep the restaurant open. They wanted to make sure this important deli stayed in the West Island area.
As of 2020, the Chenoy's in Dollard-des-Ormeaux is the only one still operating. The building that used to be a Chenoy's in Chomedey no longer exists.
