Eva Genos and her husband Samuel Chouinard are the proud owners of Le Terminus, a café-grocery store located at 755 Berri Street in the iconic former Gare Viger building.
Fully local and eco-responsible, the business promotes sustainable consumption by highlighting local products and the use of returnable containers.
Eva et Samuel | co-owners of Le Terminus | ©Saphir Optimiste
Eva and Samuel, co-owners of Le Terminus | A 100% local café-grocery store
Originally from France, Eva began her entrepreneurial journey in her home country, in the restaurant industry. After arriving in Quebec, she completed a Diploma of Vocational Studies in accounting and worked as a manager in various bakeries and pastry shops in Montreal, always with the goal of one day opening her own café.
For Samuel, although this is his first experience in entrepreneurship, he brings several years of project management experience. “I knew I wanted to start a business, but I wasn’t sure what kind,” he explains. With this in mind, he completed a business startup training program, building on his studies in construction management and carpentry.
“Our two skill sets really complemented each other—me on the grocery and café management side, and him on the construction side of the project,” says Eva.
Assessing customer needs
As residents of Old Montreal themselves, Eva and Samuel quickly noticed the lack of grocery stores for local residents and workers. It was in response to this food desert that they decided to open a café-grocery store in this trendy part of the city.
The couple began searching for a location for their business venture and ultimately chose the former Gare Viger, a historic site in the heart of Old Montreal. Despite its many advantages, the space posed a major challenge, as it needed to be completely reimagined. With Samuel’s construction expertise, they took on the large-scale project with confidence.
Financing your business through microcredit
Like many entrepreneurs, financing the business was their greatest challenge. The high-risk nature of their sector, along with Eva’s temporary immigration status, made traditional funding sources out of reach. As a result, they turned to alternative financing methods, including microcredit.
To reach their financing goal, the couple approached several organizations and launched a crowdfunding campaign through La Ruche. As part of this effort, they applied for and successfully received a loan from Microcredit Montréal. More than just financial support, this new partnership gave their project the credibility needed to secure backing from other financial partners, such as PME MTL. “It was a cornerstone of our financial success,” says Samuel.
To this day, Eva and Samuel continue to benefit from their relationship with Microcredit Montréal. In addition to marketing and business development advice, their advisor regularly shares tools and resources to support the growth of their business.
“Of all the organizations supporting our project, Microcredit Montréal is the one that follows up with us the most and makes the greatest effort to give us exposure. There’s a real commitment to helping us succeed,” adds Eva.
Growing your business through the seasons
Le Terminus opened its doors in October 2024. Less than a year later, business is going relatively well. “We’re happy. We’re confident,” they both say enthusiastically.
The couple eagerly awaits the summer season, which promises to boost traffic to the café-grocery store. To make the most of the warmer months, they plan on setting up a terrace, much to the delight of tourists and local residents alike. It will be a great opportunity for many to discover this new spot and make it their own!
Looking further ahead, Samuel mentions that they hope to develop a catering service for corporate events and transform the space into a more community-oriented hub. “We have a big space, and we’d love to organize workshops and other activities to really bring it to life!”
Le Terminus is open from Sunday to Friday and offers a wide range of local and bulk products, along with delicious homemade meals to enjoy on-site or for take-out.