It’s familiar and unfortunate tale for Montreal small business owners – construction is forcing a restaurateur to close up shop.

The latest casualty is Comme Chez Soi, a restaurant on St. Laurent Blvd. in the Plateau—Mont Royal borough.

Owner Stephane Francois blames the slow pace of condo construction next door, which began last winter, for killing his business.

“The last three months have been a nightmare for me because of the concrete mixers, big trucks, the noise, dust, the sidewalk being blocked by the city for security purposes, and (eventually) customers weren’t coming anymore,” he said.

Francois says he tried to get help from the borough but got little sympathy.

“(They) told me, you know, we can't make an omelette without cracking the eggs, something like that? And it was a sad sad thing to hear from someone working for the city,” he said.

Andrew Gryn was planning to hold his 65th birthday party at the restaurant and says he’s heartbroken that‘s closing.

“His place was very wholesome, great place, a gathering place, and unfortunately it just got crushed,” he said.

Local entrepreneur George Lallis said he feels something more could have been done.

“I find it important that the city and the people around, the neighbours, should always try and help each other in order to help small businesses out because they are the backbone of our city,” he said.

CTV News contacted the borough for comment, but the mayor's office, the permits office and the economic development office all refused a request for an interview, both to talk about Comme Chez Soi and to talk about what kind of effect construction has on local businesses.

Francois has now turned to Kickstarter, an Internet site that helps people raise funds for various causes, to raise enough money to pay his bills and keep his equipment so he can start a gluten and lactose-free catering business.

“I am sure that other businesses right now are dealing with the same problems and it will happen again, so it is time for small business owners to speak their minds,” he said.