What do rat traps, cigs, and Cheetos have in common? Browse through the aisles of your local dep and you can probably find all three. A student apartment complex might have also made the cut. Sure, the traps are probably behind a dusty display of phone cases nobody’s touched since 2019—but that’s the dep for you.
Montreal's dépanneur: corner store, neighbourhood anchor, and a Quebec institution unto itself. And yet, by every rational measure, it shouldn't be surviving. Margins are thin and convenience chains have cornered the market. The next generation has options. So who’s actually opening these things in 2026, and why?
Business as usual
The man behind the counter at Dépanneur Bon-Voisin on Queen Mary didn't mince words and didn’t offer his name. Terrible business, he says. He’s been co-owner since 2004, which makes him something of a veteran in an industry that chews people up. Margins were already thin before COVID shaved them down further. Theft gets absorbed quietly: report it to insurance and watch your premiums climb. His son studied, then left for the States. There is no plan for what comes next. He didn't seem troubled by this. He said his story was normal, uninteresting, even.
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Montreal could do a lot for deps if they implemented rent control on commercial units.
I live very close to Dep B&B but never knew about its hidden gems! Gotta check it out