Juliette Et Chocolat Is Closing Its Restaurants For Good & Montrealers Are Not Happy About It
Beloved sucreries chain Juliette et Chocolat is shutting down all ten of its restaurants, leaving sweet-toothed Montrealers everywhere without their awkward but endearing first-date spots.
Instead of the opening hours for each of the ten branches, the Juliette et Chocolat website offers a sad statement reading, "Dear guests, we must, unfortunately, put a pause on preparing your favourite sweets as of August 7, 2023. We apologize for not being able to fulfill your chocolate cravings for now, but we'll be back soon with more news."
@iamstevedaniels J’ai besoin de réponses! #Montreal #julietteetchocolat
TikTok users commented their sadness and confusion at the news, with one commenter, who claimed to be a friend of a former Juliette et Chocolat manager, saying they'd heard that "they all lost their jobs," adding that the business had "gone bankrupt."
The brand clarified some of its plans in an email apparently sent to its restaurant employees, a copy of which was obtained by TVA.
The letter reads, "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I officially announce the closure of all our branches as of today. We've all been working hard since the restaurants reopened last summer, but unfortunately, the results are not enough to compensate for the loss we accumulated during COVID.
"Add to this rising costs and the impact of inflation on our guests' consumption habits, and today our restaurants are unfortunately no longer profitable," Juliette wrote.
"I'm proud of what we've built together, and today, even though we're closing our shops and taking a step back from our growth, Juliette & Chocolat remains a strong brand that will continue to operate online, at our retailers and with our franchisees."
Redditors on the popular r/Montreal sub lamented the loss, writing, "Oh, how sad if it's true. It's true that there was competition and that it had become expensive, but the fact remains that it was an institution. How many dates happened there..."
Another user speculated about the future of other, similar chains, commenting that "It's a shame. I expect to see more and more restaurant bankruptcies, as prices have gone up so much and people no longer have the money to go out."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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