Old Montreal restaurant owner victim of break-in, worries about his neighbourhood

Youssef Shanab spent much of his Monday night at his restaurant in Old Montreal even though it wasn't even open.

Shanab's sandwich shop, Shnoopi, was broken into on Monday evening.

"He broke in through the door and then he went inside," Shanab told CTV News. "He went to the cashier, he took it all, he emptied it. Then, he saw a couple of bottles on the counter as well. He took everything."

He says police arrived quickly and eventually caught the person, but Shanab is concerned for his neighbourhood.

"I get things stolen and broken every day. I have to get somebody to clean the terrasse almost three, four times a week because they use it as a garbage can as well," he said.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is surveying its members, focusing on safety and security. The CFIB says many small business owners feel crime in their neighbourhoods has increased.

"It's a burden because first of all, you have to manage that personally so you are not feeling secure, but your employees will not feel secure," said Francois Vincent, CFIB's vice-president. "You have to act quick after that and if you have broken windows you have to fix that."

Montreal police confirmed to CTV News that a 45-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident. A police spokesperson also says that officers patrol the area and citizens who see anything suspicious are encouraged to call 911.

Shanab says his terrace lights have been stolen three times and hopes the city will take notice because he thinks this part of town could be doing a lot better.

"It's one of the most important areas of the city," he said. "This is where all the tourists come to Old Montreal and it's beautiful."