The second-ever Frite Alors! location has served its last order of Belgian frites. The restaurant on Laurier Avenue East, which opened in 1993, announced its closure this week after more than three decades serving the neighbourhood.
"It's with a heavy heart and much regret that we announce the closing of Frite Alors(!) Laurier," the restaurant posted on December 4, 2025 via Facebook (translated to English). "Born from the meeting between Jean and Yannick, it served the population of Laurier Avenue for 33 years with that essential commodity: Belgian-style fries."
The original Frite Alors! opened on Avenue du Parc in May 1991, founded by Belgian transplant Jean Jurdant, who partnered with his family and girlfriend Aline to bring proper Belgian fries to Montreal. The concept proved so popular that lineups formed outside the small space. Two years later, Jurdant partnered with fellow Belgian Yannick de Groote to open the Laurier location.
The closure sparked hundreds of reactions from neighbourhood regulars sharing memories of merguez sandwiches, mayo-harissa combos, and late-night fry runs dating back to the '90s. While some commenters blamed rising rents and economic pressures facing Montreal restaurants, others simply mourned the loss of a local institution.
The chain still operates several Montreal locations, plus outposts in Longueuil, Quebec City, and Lyon in France. For longtime Plateau residents, however, the Laurier spot held special significance as the place where the Frite Alors! story really took off.
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