André Thériault and David Evans had a conversation that a lot people would have in their early twenties. The difference is that they followed through.
Stumbling out of a Toronto bar, they shook hands on a dream: "We were drunk at a bar, and we said, 'in ten years, we'll open a bar together,'" André recalls. Fast forward 15 years—just five years past the mark, not too shabby—and that promise materialized into Star Bar, their cozy spot on Saint-Laurent that's quickly become a local fixture.
A lot happened in that decade and a half. After Thériault moved to Montreal and launched Pizza Bouquet out of Notre-Dame-Des-Quilles (now widely considered among the city's best pizza spots), the pandemic hit. Evans, working odd jobs in Toronto, hadn't seen a paycheque in months when André called asking for help.
For readers who care about Montreal
Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.
![The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [December 2025]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthemain.ghost.io%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2025%2F12%2FTHEMAIN_bar-minou_20251010_0067.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Pogos and pét-nat, backyard burgers, and subscriptions to nonstop pasta [Issue #123]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthemain.ghost.io%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2025%2F04%2FScreenshot-2025-04-02-at-5.51.52-PM-1.png&w=256&q=75)
