A Montreal restaurant tackles diners and dashes with a new solution

Some Montreal restaurants say they're getting more walk-in customers, and one restaurant is fighting back with a unique strategy.

Moonshine BBQ & Smokehouse opened its doors on Monkland Avenue a year and a half ago, and business has been good so far, said co-owner Melissa Beaver.

“We have a great community. I love the NDG community,” he said.

But they faced some problems. Beaver said they've had to deal with a string of diners and burglaries in recent months, including one that surprised a waiter last weekend.

“When he came back, he was gone. We had other patrons in the dining room and they were like, 'Hey, it's split,'” he said.

That's rare, said Dominique Tremblay, director of public relations for the Quebec Restoration Association.

“It's a tough time in the economy and people don't have money to eat, so maybe that's what's going on right now,” Tremblay said, adding that there's even a growing trend of people posting their bravery on social media. “What we've heard is that it's amazing, just like an experiment to eat lunch and run.”

All this comes at a difficult time for restaurants. Rising costs have forced many people to close.

Beaver said the incident got him thinking.

“At that point, he said, 'What can we do for our community to prevent this in the future and help somebody/'” he said.

Their Pay It Forward Wall plans to stop the theft. The restaurant and customers who want to contribute can buy burgers for those who can't afford them.

“We're also asking other patrons to say, 'Hey, if you want to help with this and buy someone a burger, we'll put it on the wall and it'll make it possible to get more food for our community,'” he said. .

Beaver said many people could use a little help during these difficult times.

“I wouldn't sit here and say we're thriving or doing great, but we'd rather not do anything and put our money into something positive. to us, but to other local businesses,” he said.