Established 1986 Food type Lebanese State Quebec | Current owner(s) George Hatzimargaritis City Montreal | |
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Street address 2020A Crescent Street, 19 Ste Catherine E., 8000 Henri-Bourassa E., 1601 Daniel Johnson, 3980 St Jean Blvd. | ||
Boustan is a Lebanese-Canadian fast food restaurant in Montreal, Quebec. It was established in 1986.
Boustan is the Arabic word for orchard.
History
Imad Smaidi became the full-time owner of the restaurant, after being a silent partner. Smaidi immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 1972, studied engineering at École Polytechnique de Montréal and worked for Philips before having to quit to run Boustan full-time.
The restaurant moved several times before settling in its current location, 2020A Crescent Street in downtown Montreal.
Boustan has been frequented by, among others, former Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau and the now current Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. and some of the rosters from the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Alouettes.
Smaidi was such a fixture he was popularly called "Mr. Boustan" instead of his real name. Tired from working 18-hour days, Smaidi put the restaurant up for sale in early 2011. He eventually sold the restaurant to George and Peter Hatzimargaritis and Mario Daigneault on March 25, 2012 for an undisclosed sum. The Hatzimargaritis, whom Smaidi trained for 6 months, vow to preserve the same recipes that repeat customers cherish.
In 2014 Boustan opened a second location at 19 Ste Catherine East which serves the same menu as the original location.
In 2015 Boustan opened its third and fourth locations in Anjou/RDP at 8000 Henri-Bourassa East and in Dollard Des-Ormeaux at 3980 boul St Jean which also serve the same menu as the original location.
In 2016 Boustan opened its fifth location in Laval at 1601 Daniel Johnson corner St Martin.