Iconic Rosemont Bar Chez Roger Announces Its Closure | Eater Montreal

"After 80 years in business, I learned the iconic Rosemont bar will close permanently after owner Normand Guérin—who has run the place for 20 years—announced on Facebook that the building owners' “obstinate refusal” to renew the lease on acceptable terms left him no choice. While he thanked staff and partners and acknowledged that the coronavirus crisis added strain, Guérin emphasized that the primary reason was the owners' refusal to offer lease conditions suitable for this kind of business; city and tax records identify the property owner as Richard Lalonde and management company Gestion Cellini, who appear not to have had notable disputes with tenants before. The closure makes Chez Roger among the first hospitality businesses to decide to shut permanently during the pandemic, even though the owner did not cite COVID-19 as the main cause." - Tim Forster