It’s not just the local businesses that have struggled in recent months. Chains that have been well established in Quebec for decades are also experiencing their share of difficulties. This is the case for La Cage, Casa Grecque and Pacini restaurants. Here is a summary of the last known items and the plans for their way out.
The cage
Sportscene, which now operates 37 restaurants from the La Cage chain, was unable to hire all of the 2,200 employees laid off when the Quebec government put the province on hiatus in March. We are talking about the final layoff of nearly 30% of its workforce due to the opening hours and reduced occupancy ratios of the establishments.
In addition, restaurants located in Old Montreal, Mont-Tremblant, Saint-Constant, and Trois-Rivières have closed the door. According to some rumors in the industry, it could be temporary closures in order to find them new premises or to carry out renovations.
The Sherbrooke branch also remains closed although no official announcement has been made. The premises would however be for rent.
Greek Casa
The formula of Casa Grecque is very simple and has been recognized for years across the province: attracting a large volume of customers and allowing them to bring their own wine. But a new reality is slowly catching up with the brand's franchisees as governments curtail dining room attendance.
So in order to adapt and be able to afford their costs, at least one manager has started offering an alcoholic beverage menu. When the parent company MTY, owner of the channel since 2018, learned of these steps, it immediately requested a court injunction to prevent it from continuing. Justice, however, refused the request!
However, the war would not be over between the two belligerents. In fact, it would only make sense for other Casa Grecque franchisees to add alcohol to their menu in order to increase their income.
Pacini
The difficulties are significant at Pacini, which filed for bankruptcy and insolvency protection on July 9, declaring debts of nearly $ 10 million. A portion of these amounts are owed to landlords and other secured creditors.
The main goal of the group is still to remain open, continue operations and keep the remaining 600 jobs, even though 5 of the 29 restaurants have closed.
There are also reports that two other establishments are in talks with their respective landlords to find common ground and remain in business.
