Dunn's facts for kids
Dunn's on Rue Jean-Talon, Montreal
|
|
| Restaurant franchise | |
| Industry | Food service |
| Founded | 1927 on Avenue Papineau near Avenue du Mont-Royal |
| Founder | Myer Dunn |
| Headquarters | 1249, rue Metcalfe Montreal, Quebec H3B 2V5 |
|
Number of locations
|
6 (2019) |
|
Area served
|
Quebec, Ontario |
| Products | Food and drink (Montreal-style smoked meat, pastrami and cheesecake) |
Dunn's Famous Deli and Steakhouse is a well-known restaurant chain. It started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Myer Dunn founded it in 1927. This restaurant is famous for its delicious Montreal-style smoked meat, pastrami, and cheesecake. Today, you can find Dunn's locations in Montreal and one in Ottawa.
Contents
Dunn's Famous Deli: A Taste of History
How Dunn's Began
Myer Dunn came to Canada in 1911. He opened his very first restaurant in 1927. It was located on Avenue Papineau in Montreal. In 1948, he opened a new place. This was the first one called "Dunn's Famous Delicatessen." It was at the corner of Avenue du Parc and Avenue du Mont-Royal.
The Famous Downtown Spot
In 1955, Myer Dunn opened his most important restaurant. It was at 892 Saint Catherine Street West. This spot became very famous. People loved the storefront windows. They were stacked high with large jars of hot banana peppers. This deli was open 24 hours a day. That was quite unusual for a restaurant in Downtown Montreal back then.
Over time, Dunn's Famous started to focus more on its Montreal-style smoked meat. Eventually, they stopped promoting Pastrami as much. The original Saint Catherine Street deli closed in 1998. But Dunn's grandson reopened it in 2000. The new spot was bigger and nearby on Metcalfe Street. Some loyal customers missed the old place. They liked the feeling of history there, even if it was crowded.
Spreading the Flavor: Franchises
Myer Dunn's granddaughter, Ina Devine, helped Dunn's grow. She opened restaurants outside Quebec. There were several in Ontario and one in British Columbia. Today, only one of these remains. It is on Dalhousie Street in the ByWard Market area of Ottawa.
At these franchised locations, the smoked meat is not made there. Instead, it is sent frozen from Montreal. Then, it is warmed up before being served to customers. Elliot Kligman now runs five Dunn's franchises in Quebec. He also sells Dunn's brand products in stores.
A Language Challenge
In 1977, a new law came out in Quebec. It was called the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101). This law aimed to protect the French language. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) is the group that makes sure this law is followed.
The OQLF had some concerns with Dunn's. One issue was the apostrophe in the restaurant's sign. Another big topic was the English words on their sign. Dunn's had "Smoked Meat" written on it. The OQLF wanted them to change it to "Boeuf Mariné" (which means "Marinated Beef"). This was to follow the new Quebec Language Law.
Dunn's and other delis fought this rule. They argued that changing "Smoked Meat" would confuse their customers. They even showed that a politician, Gérald Godin, ordered the sandwich by its English name. Dunn's won their appeal. Because of their efforts, in 1987, "Smoked meat" became a word used in both Official languages of Canada.
See also
- List of Jewish delis
- List of Canadian restaurant chains
