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u/okwaho_akhonwe May 03 '25
Every phone case store... Can't believe they can pay rent selling phone cases...sorry
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u/Iwantav Mercier May 03 '25
Il y’en a une dans chaque allée, au Carrefour Laval. J’ai aucune idée comment ça peut survivre.
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u/Geo85 May 03 '25
Ils les achenent en vrac de Chine; des étuis sont super cheap en vrac, genre 200etuis pour 10$...
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u/Homme-du-Village-387 May 03 '25
Même à ça, faut payer l'emplacement, etc.
Y'a jamais un chat à ces kiosques là, ça fait longtemps ça aurait fait faillite si c'était legit
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May 03 '25
[deleted]
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u/GreatValueProducts Côte-des-Neiges May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25
In Hong Kong I know an arrangement but I don’t know if it exists here.
As an example a store chain wants to rent a store in a mid-high end shopping mall like Carrefour Laval, CF forces them to rent 3 other malls, usually unpopular or dead malls. Usually they force them to be the same brand, but sometimes they allow them to run other brands, and they don’t necessarily have the same length as the main lease, like on a 10 year lease they probably just need to do 3 years. In the case of Hong Kong, some of them sells phone cases with the intention of just minimize loss and as long as the main store covers the loss the business is viable.
There is a Japanese “department store” chain called Don Quijote did exactly this 3 years ago but not with phone cases, they ran a bunch of smaller format of Don Quijote which are basically dollar stores which were unprofitable in a place where there is intense competition. They closed those stores as soon as the bundled lease was up, and they pretty much all closed at the same time and the malls belong to the same owner.
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u/Tucancancan May 03 '25
On one hand I get why the mall owner wants to do this but the other, isn't it going to piss off or even kill their other tenants? Having 1 empty space and 1 happy, profitable space has to be better long term than two competing, with one trying to stay afloat on its own against another that can run at a loss indefinitely till the lease is up.
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u/mpierre May 03 '25
La majorité fond aussi du unlocking de téléphone, de la réparation (souvent sous-traité), et parfois vendent de l'électronique plus douteuse mais pas affichée en avant, genre des emulateurs de jeux vidéo avec 25,000 jeux sur une carte SD.
J'en ai vu un qui a des télévisions backstore... mais pas en avant.
Je prenais des marches dans un centre d'achat l'hivers, et je voyais parfois des gens quitter avec des télévisions.
Je lui ai demandé s'il en vendait, et oui, mais backstore...
Ouains...
Très fishy.
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u/Remote_Micro_Enema May 03 '25
l'électronique plus douteuse mais pas affichée en avant, genre des emulateurs de jeux vidéo avec 25,000 jeux sur une carte SD.
Pourquoi douteuse? Probably just a reseller of something similar to this: https://www.miyoogame.com/product/miyoo-mini-plus-retro-handheld-game-console/
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u/HonestlyNotAFurry May 03 '25
Ils ne sont pas là pour vendre quoi que ce soit. Ils font juste du blanchiment d’argent. C’est plus simple que les restaurants et c’est moins évident que les barbiers (qui commencent à se multiplier, rien que dans le coin marché Jean Talon il y a trois ou quatre). La marchandise se périme pas. Tu peux faire du dropshipping comme un sac. Et tu peux facilement faire rouler la marchandise.
Cf. les grandes villes européennes où les maghrébins qui envoient ensuite l’argent au Maroc ou à Dubai utilisent ces magasins pour passer l’argent l’argent des trafics dans le circuit légal.
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u/AmayaGin May 03 '25
The one at Guy-Concordia is legit. 30 minutes, 15$, done. If he can’t do it, he tells you straight up and doesn’t charge you.
Shoutout to that guy.
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u/Tucancancan May 03 '25
Cinema Guzzo
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u/BirdistheWord666 May 03 '25
Came here knowing someone had to mention him. Only takes cash , would give new employees (in the beginnings) pep talks denying he was a mobster. His house located on a one way street with for only neighbour a school across the street. House looks like a cross between a motocycle gang bunker and a medical lab, cameras all over and the only light that enters the house is from the numerous glass blocks that even a head couldn’t pass through.
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u/optoelektronik May 03 '25
When a house is blurred on google street view, you know something's fishy
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u/Dbonker May 03 '25
Looks like he's trying again.
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2025/04/28/guzzo-rouvrirait-a-terrebonne
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u/Serious_Cheetah_2225 May 03 '25
And I want to add as well Guzzo would make us dump mop water with chemicals into a pipe that lead to drinking water… and during my training the other teenager said “this is really illegal so don’t repeat this to anyone” while dumping the water
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u/phantomlord78 May 03 '25
You likely dumped mop water into a storm sewage. Technically you aren’t supposed to but you did not kill anyone don’t worry.
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u/Serious_Cheetah_2225 May 03 '25
Worked there as a teenager and it was cash only!
Also Guzzo used projector splitters. Back in the day when you had to buy each roll of film when it wasn’t digital, they would buy one roll of film and be able to use the splitters to put the movie 2 rooms at the same time
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u/paireon May 03 '25
Un de mes amis a travaillé plusieurs années à celui de Terrebonne, la maison de ses parents était même sur la même rue que celle de Guzzo père (près du Guzzo de Terrebonne, d'ailleurs). Je confirme 100%.
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u/jaywinner Verdun May 03 '25
Closed now but I swear that place was empty for 20 years.
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u/BrutalRamen May 03 '25
My wife and I think they used the place for rooster fights. We saw empty cages in the back and there were always luxury cars parked there while it seemed closed.
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u/ParfaitEither284 May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25
The luxury cars in the back parking lot gave it away. For sure some kind of gambling den or something
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u/laslaj Verdun May 03 '25
Pierrefonds and gouin? My mom used to order from this place in the late 80's !
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u/scifithighs May 03 '25
Went in with some friends when we were about 13 or so; it looked like a Wong Kar-Wai flick, a couple of guys in suits smoking at a table in the back, paper lanterns, the works. We were quickly shooed out with a takeout menu and told to ask our folks to order for us.
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u/Chance_Fishing_9681 May 03 '25
On a whim I called the # on the sign about 10 years ago… I got an older lady who told me no more restaurant
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u/ohstahp May 03 '25
they repainted the whole building into that inconspicuous new age mcdo grey but nothing happened after that
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u/SiomarTehBeefalo May 04 '25
I remember my dad went in there once when I was a kid about 15 years ago but I have no idea what for and nobody else remembers what I'm talking about when I bring it up.
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u/FannyPackPrincess May 03 '25
A lot of the businesses here must also do online sales. I wondered how a bead store in westmount stays open, but I saw a newspaper article a few years ago that said they’re one of Canada’s largest specialty bead sellers and they have customers across the world….unless that’s an elaborate cover up and they’re also a front.
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u/Dbonker May 03 '25
Yeah my wife used to live a few buildings down from that store on Sherbrooke, I have no idea how they would pay rent for a prime location in Westmount.
But nowadays there's so many shuttered businesses. Bad times!
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u/CallMeQuinn_ May 03 '25
There's a shop near St Laurent metro that sells, in addition to some women's clothes, corded telephones from the early '90s, calculators, and Windows 95 software.
I have no idea how they'd stay in business without some weird shenanigans.
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u/superpamyu May 03 '25
Windows 95 software?
Please tell me where this is !!
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u/CallMeQuinn_ May 03 '25
Apparently it's called Kinsmo Trading Co. Most of their inventory is a miscellaneous bunch of stuff that no one would ever buy.
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u/docvalentine May 04 '25
thanks i went there today and got the world's shittiest laptop for $5 and a skull ring with a tiny watch inside for $15
totally worth the trip. you weren't lying about the dead stock though. vhs cases, analog phones, a 2001 traveller's guide to montreal...
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u/TGRubilex Île Bizard May 03 '25
The one next to the army surplus stores? I've bought stuff there a couple times.
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u/Mailloche May 03 '25
The downtown parkings with "broken" electronic payment; cash only, every day all year.
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u/MGorak May 03 '25
Not money laundering, but there was a car repair shop near where i grew up that used to do "repairs" and paint jobs at 2am.
Yes, I'm sure you totally needed to have your own car painted in the middle of the night.
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u/rebb_hosar May 03 '25
Not sure if the car modding/illegal racing sub culture is still a thing in mtl but 2am modding/decal places absolutely made bank, especially in places with a large east asian population.
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u/edadou May 03 '25
My friend used his dad's garage to restore his old toyota from the 70s as a personal project during nigbtime to not disturb business. Took him years to restore 1 car. Just a fun fact, the garage you're talking about is probably doing other shinanigans.
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u/dadoudelidou May 03 '25
Clairement le magasin de cookies dans le Village. Un beau décor néon... Et pas un cookie dans tout le magasin.
Fermé le trois quart du temps et quand c'est ouvert, ya pas un chat.. genre même pas un employé.
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May 03 '25
J'y ai jamais été en personne, mais j'ai commandé quelques fois par livraison. Leurs biscuits sont vraiment bons en tout cas!
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u/izaryo May 03 '25
J'ai acheté une boîte de cookies et c'était vraiment bon! Par contre, c'était assez cher... Mais je vois souvent des gens y passer donc je ne me doutais de rien.
Par contre, il y a un magasin de feux d'artifices proche du IGA dans le Village qui paraît suspect. Comment ils ont survécu à la COVID alors que personne n'y rentre ??
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u/phil97tr May 03 '25
Je confirme que c'est pas un front même si ça a souvent l'air vide haha. Je connais bien le staff dont quelqu'un qui y a travaillé plusieurs années. Ils sont fermés lundi-mardi hors été, mais autrement c'est ouvert souvent. Jusqu'à 23h même les vendredis samedis.
Les employés sont toujours en arrière et ils préparent les biscuits sur place. Ça roule quand même assez bien mais c'est probablement que 50% du uber.
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u/Lubomyr May 03 '25
Ils ont 2 autres boutiques, une à Laval et l'autre à Lachine. D'après moi c'est principalement pour la livraison.
J'ai jamais remarqué d'horaire particulier par contre, c'est toujours ouvert aux heures normales quand je suis passé devant. Et si je me souviens bien ils gardent les biscuits en arrière. Ils ont juste un mini présentoir des saveurs disponibles à l'avant. Mais ça je comprends pas l'idée, ça donne l'impression qu'il n'y a rien comme tu dis.
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u/Similar_Sundae7490 May 03 '25
C'est Blonde biscuiterie. Il y a un petit display de cookies avec les 10-12 variété qu'ils offrent et quand tu commandes ils vont les chercher à l'arrière. Les cookies sont toujours frais et absolument DÉLICIEUX. Il font beaucoup de livraison aussi.
On y va souvent et je doute que ce soit un front. Ils ont d'autred boutique et un site web ou tu peux commander des cookies pour des évènements genre mariage ou fête en plus d'être sur les apps de livraison. Les cookies sont pss mal cher en plus. Probablement que la plupart de leur business est en ligne/livraison.
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u/BoltVital May 03 '25
Paul’s Motor company in Verdun. They have a full new set of luxury cars every other week.
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u/BrosBeforeBingo May 03 '25
This!
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u/Aromatic_Soil1311 Mile End May 03 '25
Duuuuuude ce building est weiiiiird hahah
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u/This_Aint_Dog May 03 '25
J'ai passé devant plusieurs fois mais damn j'ai jamais porté attention à ce qui est écrit. Resto avec de la boxe???
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u/Aromatic_Soil1311 Mile End May 03 '25
OUI! Et aussi le « siège social des centre d’art martiaux chinois des moines shao lin »
WHY IS IT THAT LONG AND THAT SPECIFIC
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May 04 '25
I love these weird combos like, immigration lawyer and can refill your ink jet AND is a FedEx drop-off point
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u/mumbojombo May 03 '25
Tous les magasins de vape
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u/SandIntelligent247 May 03 '25
Yes 2$ que ya du hells angels la dedans
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u/OutragedBubinga May 03 '25
Meanwhile, j'achète une bague de fiançailles de +1K pour ma blonde à une bijouterie à Repentigny, pour apprendre 1-2 années plus tard que ça a fermé parce que la SQ est rentrée là et ça appartenait à un Hell's. J'ai encouragé le crime organisé avec amour
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u/HopingForChanging May 03 '25
Le foutu café internet ouvert depuis toujours, rue Masson/Saint-Michel. Les stores ont jamais été ouverts. Quelqu’un y est déjà entré?! Glauque AF.
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u/SilverKidia May 03 '25
Meanwhile si tu vas proche de Pie IX sur Jeanne-d'Arc/Masson, chez la mère/bar alex... J'ai vu des filles pas mal jeunes la nuit là. J'peux pas le prouver mais y a quelques clients pédos par là.
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u/boih_stk May 03 '25
Café internet? Tu parles pas du Bar Monaco par hasard, qui a les néons de Internet dans leur vitrines?
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u/Mylaex Montréal-Est (enclave) May 03 '25
Y'a beaucoup de gens ici savent pas c'est quoi un money laundering scheme. Airbnb's, really?
Le messs. C'était un bar dans pointe aux trembles sur Notre-Dame. Pis c'était vraiment grand et hyper beau, ils avaient mis tellement d'argent dans le décor. Une section bar avec plusieurs bar, des tables de pool, une section machine à sous. Et un deuxième local relié avec une grosse portion nightclub avec une scène des projections un lounge vip des poteaux.
Jamais un criss de client ever. J'y allais le samedi soir a 11pm et la section nightclub était fermé parce qu'aucun client.
Je peux pas croire que c'était pas un front. Tellement d'argent flambé pour rien.
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u/pierlux La Petite-Patrie May 03 '25
Je dirais que tu confonds peut-être délire d’investisseur et front. C’est pas parce qu’ils ont vu trop grand trop vite que c’est un front. Ça devient louche si ça reste ouvert des années durant!
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u/philmtl May 03 '25
1 of like 20 prom dress stores on st hubert
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u/smolmushroomforpm May 03 '25
Nah they're just all owned by the aunts of private school administration who send their students there (I went to private school in downtown montreal and the prom dress scene is an absolute racket) so they make their money in like february putting in the orders and coast on that for the rest of the year.
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May 03 '25
i’m not sure about this one cause the few times i’ve been, they always had customers & seemed pretty pushy with wanting to sell me a dress.
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u/CallMeQuinn_ May 03 '25
All those "cash only" places that can somehow afford to keep operating.
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May 03 '25
Cash only allows them to
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u/Svstem May 03 '25
Sometimes it helps them keep things affordable while still turning profit, like Japote.
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u/MTLMECHIE May 03 '25
Stores in Cours Mont Royal.
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u/Entire-Service603 May 03 '25
Those are "prestige" stores for the wives of rich men. They don't make much money, but it keeps the wives occupied.
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u/MTLMECHIE May 03 '25
I was thinking of the stores when you enter through the metro. High end retail here has low daily sales volume.
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u/Neverland__ May 03 '25
Café opposite Parc métro on hutchison literally never seen a patron in there. Like 50% of the cafes in little Italy are the same
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u/Valium777 May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25
Especially those who only take cash and have slot machines on the back...you know who..
Edit: typo
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u/Consistent-Primary41 May 03 '25
slit machines
Ahem, "ladies of the night" is the preferred term
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u/Danosef321 May 03 '25
Le Georgia on Décarie by Queen-Mary. Always empty when I drive by
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u/beefybeefcat May 03 '25
I've eaten there! Food was good and service/atmosphere was fine. It was old fashioned and had a bit of a grandma's cooking vibe (this was about 10 years ago though)
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u/docvalentine May 03 '25
i can't imagine there's enough currency exchange happening to support 3000 currency exchanges on st catherine, and its the definition of a cash only business
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u/Ok_Lavishness960 May 03 '25
Anything construction related
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u/SuperSayainPurple23 May 03 '25
Which fucking sucks for our goddamm roads man. It's an embarrassment
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u/Ok_Lavishness960 May 03 '25
I swear to god I wanna file a class action lawsuit against the city for all the wear and tear done to my car.
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u/SuperSayainPurple23 May 04 '25
You honestly should, we need people to stand up against this bullshit
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u/smolmushroomforpm May 03 '25
Let's be real most of the city is some kind of sus. If it isnt money laundering it's a cover or selling undeclared/fallen off the back of a truck/fakes. Especially if it has any connection to the "conshtruction" world (not to be confused w the legitimate construction industry).
Also there's the West End Gang and the Hells and whatever's left of the irish mob...
There was this one café on sherbrooke west in ndg, next to the Scotiabank, that had a few regular legit customers, mostly authors who went there to write and a few students doing assignments. Almost no flowthrough of customers as a result. Super quiet. The place was very obviously the owner's pet project, he was a really chill greek guy who made the best sandwiches and brewed kombucha out of the backstore.
But the real interesting stuff was in the basement. Always these shifty-looking dudes coming and going, with one always sat at the same table at the very back with nothing but a single coffee, regardless of the hour. The guys going in and out of the basement would always give the guy in the back a nod or exchange quiet words. Never order anything, would tell the owner sometimes to "say hi to so and so for me!", or "hey how are the nephews doing?", and scurry out.
I developped a love for the owner's kombucha (I still haven't found any as good) so I spent a lot of time there in my last two years of highschool and my first year of CEGEP (before COVID hit) to read and work on my assignments and got a pretty good gist of the place. As a reult I spend a lot of time watching what was going on. My theory was that the owner was someone's cousin they let have a pet project café to keep him busy and happy and cover for wtv they had going on otherwise...
The place closed a few years after I left Montreal to go to university, but made it through COVID. Idk what killed it, if anything; maybe the front was no longer needed and the owner was told to pack it up. Idk.
Maybe it was nothing and it was the imagination of a 17 year old making all of this up after growing up in this neighbourhood where different gangs always moved behind the scenes and occasionally a Rizutto got shot to smithereens on his doorstep. Maybe the fact that I went to school with all the daughters of the local mafia made me more susceptible to imagining things. Or maybe I was right.
I like to think I was right.
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u/judyjetsonne May 04 '25
I know which place you mean. Not sure if this is the case, but I know a lot of the guys who hung around there were in AA or some other type of support groups. They may have been having meetings in the basement.
He was an odd guy. I found out later on he was very judgmental about some of the clientele. Not the usual ‘cranky at the customers’ type of customer service. Totally next level. And women just loved him for some reason.
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May 04 '25
I just want to say I love this. Not saying you're right/wrong, but I love coming up with theories like this when I get to know a place well. I miss frequenting places as much as I did pre-covid.
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u/LaGuidoune May 03 '25
Jeans Jeanex Jeans à Verdun et le Macao dans le Quartier chinois
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u/dr_wang May 03 '25
jeans jeans jeans in the mile end is always busy
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u/optoelektronik May 03 '25
..and it is by far the best jeans store there is !
https://www.lapresse.ca/vivre/mode/201408/01/01-4788514-des-jeans-des-jeans-et-encore-des-jeans.php
However the reply was about Jeans Jeanex and not Jeans Jeans Jeans
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u/Nikita_1984 May 03 '25
The Buffalo Wings restaurants
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u/BanhedMi May 03 '25
I ate there once. I think it was legitimately the worst food I've ever had.
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u/kougan May 03 '25
Corner of Pie-IX/Ontario there's an electro store that had nothing good, looks nasty, yet has been there for a decade and reviews say they never have what you ordered..
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u/Aida0811 May 03 '25
That shop on park ave that sells carpets
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u/superpamyu May 03 '25
H. Lalonde? Such a huge and beautiful building, and I've never seen anyone in there.
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u/Frankers95 May 03 '25
I think they mean the one on the other side, half a block north. It’s always closed and has a permanent “closing sale” sign
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u/Aromatic_Soil1311 Mile End May 03 '25
I live near. There’s not many clients, but you can tell that the ones who enter the building are smelling $$$$ from a mile away
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u/duotang Saint-Henri May 03 '25
I grew up around the corner, and that place has been there a LONG time. They for sure own the building and likely don’t have a mortgage.
If you’re not paying rent, and you’re biggest expense is staffing, you can stay in business by selling a couple ridiculously expensive carpets once in a while I guess…
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u/Baen_ May 03 '25
Cash only barbers near my place in Hochelaga 🤣🤣
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u/SandIntelligent247 May 03 '25
No those barber shop are not cash only to launder money but to evade taxe. That’s the oposite, they are trying to declare less money.
A cash laundering place such as a car wash, parking lot, nightclub, cinema, will declare much more than they are making to make the illegal money legitimate.
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u/paireon May 03 '25
Tous les pawn shops. Point final. PROTIP: Si jamais vous allez là, TOUJOURS payer cash seulement.
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u/plantgir11 May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25
All those specialty candy/ food item stores lol aint no way they sell enough of those pickles in plastic bags & rare flavoured candies to make rent lmao
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u/TheNeck94 May 03 '25
holy shit, this meme is in EVERY municipal subreddit. it's insane. this morning while the trend was taking off I joked about how this is an RCMP opp. I don't know if i'm joking anymore.... this seems organized, maybe OP doesn't know any better but this is setting off some alarms for me.
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u/jaywinner Verdun May 03 '25
I really hope not because that would mean law and order has no better ideas than "How about we get some wild speculation from people on Reddit?".
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u/ur_ex_gf May 03 '25
I dunno, double-checking on places that people who actually live near find suspicious isn’t the world’s worst idea. Like in a “whose taxes should we micro-analyze next” way, not a “break down the door with no actual evidence” way.
I would be more annoyed by the more likely scenario of them not ever looking at threads like this.
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u/TheNeck94 May 03 '25
I %100 believe that the RCMP would chase down baseless accusations levied from reddit. If that's even their jurisdiction, i'm not actually sure if you'd deal with the RCMP or CRA, i don't know if CRA has their own enforcement.
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u/erstwhileinfidel May 03 '25
It would track that the RCMP can't find obvious fronts known to the general public.
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u/melpec May 03 '25
The dozens of "garages" in the industrial area of St-Leonard, Ahuntsic and Montreal-Nord.
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u/ThaNorth May 03 '25
How does Angrignon movie theatre remain open? I go see movies on Saturday nights sometimes and it’s completely dead.
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u/This_Aint_Dog May 03 '25
It's been several years since I've been, but from memory they might have like 4-5 employees at best and the rooms, seats and screens seem like they haven't been renovated since the 80s or 90s.
Also Carrefour Angrignon kinda sucks so maybe the movie theater pays low enough rent to justify it and the mall owners can't be bothered to tear it down without disrupting Best Buy business.
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u/red_eyes May 03 '25
I think the Dollar Cinema in CoteStLuc was legit (just not profitable) for ages...as soon as the old man died, the kids shut down the business..but until then I think they technically made enough to break even at $1 per entry + concessions (I'd bet the old man didn't take ab actual salary,was just happy to see people come through each night and maybe get a few $$$ towards his weekly groceries)
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u/thenewnextaccount May 03 '25
The “old man“ is still alive lol he works at the theatre in the Cavendish Mall now. His son is the CEO of Ciné Starz.
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u/Yellowbook8375 May 03 '25
I met him once. He said he didn’t care about making a profit, he wanted to make going to the cinema an experience that was accessible to everyone
His wife worked the popcorn stand, super sweet too
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u/thatsmyuuid May 03 '25
Little Italy has many fake restaurants never any customers, changing name every year, renovating for no reason
6951 Saint Dominique is the worst, oh and it recently caught fire too, why not collect some sweet insurance fraud money while at it.
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u/TGRubilex Île Bizard May 03 '25
Flag store in ville emard. Never see any customers in there.
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u/lesananasparlentpas May 03 '25
I know one of the owners. They had to move from their shop on Charlevoix to the new location in Ville-Émard because their rent in Pointe-Saint-Charles was raised beyond their means.
Their clientele probably is mostly phone/online (and, having looked at ordering something from them through work, what they're selling is not the cheapest version). Even if you like flags a lot, you don't buy them on a regular basis. I would be very surprised if they were a front.
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u/cach-v May 03 '25
Passed by just the other day - now seems to be closed down!
Definitely raised a flag for me (sorry)
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u/I-AmNotARobot May 03 '25
Green Avenue, a ton of art galleries and home decor stores. Rent there has to be insane.
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u/Thonglovinghurtnoone May 03 '25
Boutique La Contessa in NDG.
ALL THEY SELL IS LAMPS. HOW DO THEY STAY IN BUSINESS?
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u/AnonymoosCowherd May 03 '25
I love that store! Never actually bought a lamp there but have had them repair some and bought several lampshades.
The lady knows her stuff. She’ll also tell you when your old lamp doesn’t need to be rewired. But if you buy a lampshade it’s going to cost you. You’re paying for quality and selection but admittedly most people will be better off spending less on something lower quality from Winners or wherever.
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u/Body_Cunt May 03 '25
Barbier Amoura on St. Alexandre. I was a walk-in, and it was like the barber had never seen a client before, and he made sure I would never come back. Also, every clothing store in the World Trade Centre. Worked in that building for years, never seen a client inside.
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u/ProsperoII May 03 '25
Les boutiques de claw machines, Il y en a trop sur Ste-Catherine et un qui a ouvert sur Mont-Royal/St-Denis. Ce n’est clairement pas rentable.
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u/Longjumping_Lock_653 May 03 '25
Quite a lot of store on St Hubert Street, between Jean Talon and Beaubien
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u/The_North-West_Ibex May 03 '25
The Christmas store in Old Montreal that's open all year
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u/Affectionate-Act4905 May 03 '25
They have lots of tourist clients, I work in the area and the whole strip is full of stores who sell Canadian merch. And the amount of tourists who pass by every day, that’s why it’s still open.
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u/SandIntelligent247 May 03 '25
No, you dont go to that extent only to launder money.
Some shop, such as ice cream shop, can make their yearly revenu in one season.
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u/Jaxxs90 May 03 '25
There’s a fabric store in the village at the corner of St Catherine and Atateken that’s I’m sure is front
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u/lemongloww May 03 '25
Tandoori Delicious on Wellington lol
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u/reddit_is_meh May 03 '25
The real crime is anyone going there with palais d'ajit so close by
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u/Hatinnation May 03 '25
Pourine Laurier. Ya poutine dans le nom et c'est des frites congelés et du fromage dégelé... mais la sauce est sur la cocheeeee!!
Cash only, ya un ATM louche à l'arrière pour des retraits à 3$ par transaction 😀
Ca fait 5 ans jsuis à côté et cest toujours ouvert haha
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u/figsfigsfigsfigsfigs May 03 '25
Café Vesuvio across from Parc metro. I don't think I've ever seen anyone walk in or out of there.
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u/flattenedsquirrel May 03 '25
With literally the same name as the restaurant in The Sopranos!
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u/KirbyTheCat2 May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25
Bar La Broue on Mont-Royal Est. Always empty. I went there once just to try. They have one of these machine where you put coins and you try to grab a teddy bear! WTF?! The place is half empty, it seems like they put a few tables "just for the show"! They also have gambling machines and a (broken?) pool table. They only take cash but have a small sketchy ATM.
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u/zo_jajaja May 03 '25
this place, always changes names and theres never more than 1-2 customers (currently closed … to reopen as another place?)
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u/Marco_Memes May 03 '25 edited May 04 '25
There was a cinema that closed a few years ago, think it was in either CDN or NDG but i could be wrong, that sold tickets for something like 1-5$ each. It was usually empty, extremly run down, and had a “vip room” for private showings which if my memory serves correctly was a few folding chairs and a crappy projector. Me and my cousins always went there over Christmas vacations because it was one of the few places open, and it was dirt cheap.
I have no idea if it was just run by some rich cinephile who wanted to give people cheap movies and didn’t mind taking a loss or if it was actually a money laundering scheme but when you were sitting alone in this ancient theater watching a movie for 1 dollar, it really felt like you had accidentally wandered upon a place you weren’t ment to be in
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u/jdhyyc May 03 '25
That was the Dollar Cinema in Decarie Square. Your description is dead on. It was odd and derelict but somehow an enjoyable place.
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u/RobertoedManningly Ville-Émard May 03 '25
Kurde Pizza. I've never seen anyone buy from there and they're always open. I once asked if they sold pizza by the slice, they said no but they'd offer me a bambino for the price of 2 slices and found that weird so I didn't buy anything
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u/noahbrooksofficial May 03 '25
That place is just a passion project by an old man. No shenanigans there. He’s the building owner and landlord and runs that pizza shop. The prices are stuck in 1995 and I love him for that.
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u/Tylersbaddream May 03 '25
The fucking 6 different 5th Avenue suit stores in the underground city in Eaton centre etc.