The company running West Island deli joint Chenoys has gone bankrupt with liabilities exceeding a million dollars after years of losses and unpaid bills, court records show.
A notice seen posted on the doors of the restaurant in Dollard-des-Ormeaux warned property cannot be removed without the bankruptcy trustee’s written permission.
Chenoys goes back to 1936. The original delicatessen opened on St-Laurent Blvd. The Dollard-des-Ormeaux restaurant opened in 1974, and became known for its smoked-meat sandwiches, red booths and round-the-clock hours.
According to court documents, the company running the restaurant voluntarily entered bankruptcy on April 14. The company and its sole director, Argyro Sigounis, later asked Quebec Superior Court to cancel the bankruptcy.
They argued the decision had not been properly authorized and had been made to avoid the normal process for resolving a dispute over unpaid rent. But Justice Luc Morin rejected the application in July, writing the company had been “plainly insolvent.”
The court heard the company had been losing money, had failed to pay suppliers and owed growing amounts to tax authorities. Requests for more recent financial records had gone unanswered.
News of the bankruptcy prompted a mix of nostalgia and sadness on Facebook, where former customers shared memories of meals and their last visit.