MONTREAL - The Laurier BBQ has been an Outremont institution for 75 years, but it is on the verge of getting a major facelift.
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has bought the venerable restaurant and it will be temporarily closing its doors April 17 for major renovations, something that has some of the regular customers a little concerned.
"I hope they can keep the spirit of the Laurier BBQ thing," said customer France Castel. "It's been there for so many years, so this is always a good feeling. It's about comfort."
Comfort, however, is not what some of the staff are feeling these days.
Though none of them wanted to go on the record, several staff members told CTV Montreal's Aphrodite Salas they fully expect to be laid off when the restaurant closes for renovations. They feared not being able to work until then if they went on the record.
"The team of servers, I hope they keep them," one longtime customer told Salas. "They're like family."
The restaurant's management also refused official comment, confirming only that the restaurant will indeed be closed for renovations next month.
Montreal Gazette columnist Bill Brownstein said the sentiment of jarring change will likely be a common one if Ramsay puts too drastic a stamp on his new restaurant.
"I found it surprising that he would buy it," Brownstein said. "I found it surprising that he's trying to change it because they have a good carriage trade; it's a family restaurant in a family neighbourhood."
It's something that another regular customer agreed with wholeheartedly.
"This is very sad thing," he said, "and they're going to lose a lot of clients."
Whether or not Ramsay will be able to replace them with new clients remains to be seen.
