Butchery Slovenia in Montreal closed another blow to the old spirit of The Main – Montreal
After 50 years of joy of Montreal carnivores, the butcher’s shop Slovenia served the last sandwich on Saint Laurent Boulevard.
Saturday was the last day of operation for the venerable store, following an online announcement of the impending closure on January 18th.
Many of those who went under the famous red-and-white and yellow boards for the last time on Saturday remained nostalgic.
“It’s just sad. I mean, it’s an institution in Montreal,” said Victor Frattasi, who told Global News that he has been coming to Slovenia for more than 15 years.
“Even though there’s no record, it’s a Montreal landmark,” said 38-year-old Chris Abrigo. His family has been a loyal party of Slovenia since his birth.
Some swear by the quality of the meat.
“I really enjoyed their specialty salami, the spicy salami. I don’t know where I’ll ever find it again, “said Ken McNamee, who has been a customer for three decades.
“It’s the best veal you could find. You can’t find it anywhere else, “said customer Fernand Rioux.
READ MORE: Huge cast as Schwartz lowers prices by three hours
For many others, legendary sandwiches have always been worth a trip to the main,
“The prices are extremely low in terms of the quality you get,” Frattasi said, “Mixed meat sandwiches, spicy sausage sandwiches, everything is just great, great stuff.”
The owners wrote on Facebook on January 18 that it will be their 29th last day, and thanked their customers for all the wonderful years.
They didn’t want to talk to Global News.
Whether the reason for the closure is a pandemic, high rents, a desire to retire, or some other reason, clients will miss them greatly.
“A lot of these places are small and far at the moment. Everyone is closing in, ”Frattasi said.
“I think it’s important that we try to support them as much as possible in their last days just to show them how valuable they have been in the community, ”Samantha Stilwell said.
Food historian Kat Romanow says the closure of Slovenia represents another loss for Saint Laurent Boulevard’s past as a melting pot for immigrants.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Moishes steak icon in Montreal closes after 83 years
“They represented a time when Main was a bustling street and was a place where various groups of immigrants who settled in the city made it their home and made it a place where they could come and gather,” he said. she said. “It was full of family-run businesses, so it really helped foster a sense of community. ”
As another example of the loss of the old character of the street, she points to the recent exit of the legendary restaurant with steaks Moishes from its icon.
“It kind of hurts a lot because we’re losing a part of Maine that with the loss of these institutions we’ll never get back,” Romanow told Global News.
Slovene loyal constants have no choice but to be satisfied with the last photo, the last sandwich, the last look at this famous sign.
© 2022 Global News, Corus Entertainment Inc.