Five-Alarm Fire Leaves a Plateau Brunch Spot in Ashes | Eater Montreal

"I was alarmed to learn that the Saint-Denis location of Universel Déjeuners et Grillades — one of three franchise locations (which shows no affiliation to the amusement park company despite its curiously selected logo) — suffered a five-alarm fire early Sunday morning. The blaze started in the restaurant’s cellar and climbed through all three floors via the pipes; because of poor ventilation in the building and renovations with overlapping layers and divisions, firefighters had to break open floors to release an overwhelming amount of smoke, and crews working in shifts—at times as many as 120 firefighters—doused the building for almost eight hours. Ten residents were evacuated and, thankfully, no one was injured; investigators are still looking into the cause but no criminal activity is being suspected. This Universel, which moved to the Saint-Denis location in 2008 and helped make the area a popular crossroads for breakfast and brunch, was known for its terasse that filled in summer, was frequented by neighbours, and had a warm ambiance of wood paneling and hot pink sofa seats; it was also treated as a popular nightlife spot, as evidenced by its Facebook photo album. There’s been no mention of the fire on the restaurant’s social media platforms." - JP Karwacki