The owners of a Quebec grocery store left without a trace

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The Provisions grocery store Inc. is located at 1115 avenue Cartier, in Quebec. (Archive photo)

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Where are Stéphanie and Christophe Bouillon, owners of the grocery store Provisions de l& ;#x27;Cartier Avenue in Quebec? The couple, targeted by a lawsuit worth nearly half a million dollars, has not given any sign of life for several days. As the only clue, a poster, stuck in the door to announce the closure of the local establishment, frequented for 75 years in the neighborhood.

The couple seems to have completely vanished. Fresh food remained on the shelves of the closed grocery store, an employee who did not want to be identified says he has not received pay from them for more than two weeks, a supplier, as to him, says the couple owes him nearly $2,000.

Originally from France, Christophe and Stéphanie Bouillon are said to have purchased the business in 2022.

The former owners of the grocery store, Vincent Drouin and Bruno Drouin, are seeking $446,250 from the couple. According to our information, this amount corresponds to the balance of sales which were never paid.

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Christophe Bouillon and Stéphanie Guessas broth. (Archive photo)

Before the sale of the grocery store by the Drouin family to the Bouillon couple, the business employed 32 workers. Six employees had worked there since the French couple took the reins of the company.

Of course, for many people today, it is an economic tragedy, but above all it is a tragedy human, deplores Yves Ledoux, owner of Pub Galway, on the microphone of the show It's even better in the afternoon. It disrupts the lifestyles of many people.

« Human tragedy » : the closure of a grocery store provokes reactions.BROADCAST HERE FIRST.C&#x27 ;is even better in the afternoon.

“Human tragedy”: the closure of a grocery store provokes reactions

BROADCAST HERE FIRSTIt's even better in the afternoon

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The closure of the grocery store does not, however, mean that Avenue Cartier becomes a food desert, because other food businesses are located in the area, but a place where everyone knows your name: that has added value, recalls Mr. Ledoux.

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The owner of the Galway Pub, a neighbor across the street from the Provisions grocery store, says that traders are willing to find a solution to reopen the business. Several of us got together with entrepreneurs, business people to say: "okay, what should be done?" But our hands are a bit tied because the bank is involved, the Drouin family is still in the balance of sale. You have to let the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

In his opinion, it will be difficult to replace the type of commerce at this location. The number of restaurants and bars is limited by permit, he explains. It could be a linen store, he gives as an example, but in the current economic situation, it's more difficult because of the Internet and all that.

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Before Provisions is closed by the French couple, six employees worked there.

The house owned by the couple in the Sillery district was sold at a loss on January 19, at an amount $80,000 less than the price paid to buy it in 2022.

On January 29, after a request from the National Bank, the company was deprived of the right to collect rent for the housing located above the grocery store.

Radio-Canada attempted to contact Stéphanie and Christophe Bouillon, without success.

With information from Flavie Sauvageau

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