Gazette: Menchie’s distinctive plastic spoons stay put

Menchie’s distinctive plastic spoons stay put | West Island Gazette

The manager was told to remove the spoons while the inspector waited. The event was captured on the store’s security videotape.

 The inspector also spoke with the store’s owner, former Montrealer David Lipper, who is now based in Los Angeles.

 The story was picked up by the media and by the next evening, Lipper had received an apologetic call from the OQLF telling him the store could continue using the spoons while the file was being studied.

 “Construction of the Laval store was supposed to be finished four months ago, but we kept getting our permits refused, once because there wasn’t enough French on the plans, another time because the plans were rolled, not folded. Then there was the construction strike and now there is the construction holiday. I have no idea when the opening day will be.”

 “The process hasn’t changed my love for (my hometown), but it is very difficult to do business in Quebec,” Lipper said. “If I’d known at the very beginning that the process would be even 50 per cent as difficult as it’s turning out to be, I would never have done it.”