Downtown pizza shop fears new Sainte-Catherine Street work could be final blow

Brigade Pizza’s owner says the next phase of Sainte-Catherine construction could threaten the restaurant’s survival.

A downtown Montreal restaurant says it’s struggling to stay afloat and the owner is blaming yet another round of construction on Sainte-Catherine Street.

Brigade Pizzeria on Stanley Street has been serving customers since 2014. It’s a labour of love for Jean-Daniel Nadeau and his wife, Grace.

“Our dream was to open many of them,” Nadeau said.

But 12 years later, that dream is in jeopardy. The city is continuing its redevelopment of Sainte-Catherine Street West, and the next phase begins Monday. Nadeau worries the work will keep customers away.

“We’re already down on our knees. We’re down to the ground. They’re just beating us up, basically,” he said.

From the pandemic to repeated road closures, Nadeau says the past several years have been a constant struggle and sales have dropped drastically.

The city says it’s in contact with local businesses in the area, stating: “We are working to limit impacts, maintain access to shops, and support merchants through available accompaniment measures. Our goal is to complete the work quickly while protecting downtown’s economic vitality.”

But Nadeau says help from the city has barely made a dent.

While some small businesses are fighting to stay alive, it’s not all bad news downtown.

The Apple store was full this morning as it showed off its brand-new location. And according to the Quebec Retail Council, the REM has helped bring more shoppers into the core.

But for Nadeau, more talk of roadwork creates anxiety and he wonders if his restaurant will be able to survive.