Winter in Montreal for restaurants: surviving the slow months

Montreal restaurants live two lives. From late spring to early autumn, terrasses fill, pedestrian streets bring in foot traffic and visitors are everywhere. Then the terrasse comes in, the cold arrives, and for months the business depends on the people who will walk through snow to eat with you. Planning for that shift, rather than reacting to it, is one of the biggest differences between restaurants that thrive here and those that struggle.

When does terrasse season end in Montreal?

Terrasses on public property, such as the sidewalk or parking spaces in front of a restaurant, need a permit from the City, and each borough applies its own dates. Check your borough's current rules and dates on the City of Montréal's website, because they change and they decide how many seats you have for half the year.

How much does losing the terrasse affect a Montreal restaurant?

For a small dining room, the terrasse can add a large share of seats in summer. When it comes in, capacity drops at the same time as foot traffic and tourism. Plan your staffing, purchasing and cash flow around the indoor seat count, not the summer one, and treat the summer surplus as the reserve that carries you through January and February.

What are the slowest months for Montreal restaurants?

Every restaurant is different, but many owners find the weeks right after the holidays and the coldest stretches of winter the hardest, along with the weeks between the end of terrasse season and the start of the holiday party rush. Look at your own sales by week over the past year or two to find your quiet periods, then plan around those rather than a general rule.

How can you bring customers in during the Montreal winter?

• Lean into comfort. Soups, braises, stews and a warming table d'hôte suit the season and the mood.
• Make the walk worth it. A warm welcome, a coat rack and a place to drop wet boots matter more than they sound.
• Run a weeknight offer on your quietest nights rather than discounting your busiest.
• Host small events: a winemaker dinner, a set-menu night, a cooking class.
• Push takeout and catering for people who would rather stay home, and for offices planning winter gatherings.
• Keep regulars close with a loyalty program that rewards visits in the slow months.

Should you take part in winter food festivals?

Montreal's calendar helps in the colder months. MTLàTABLE, the restaurant week organized by Tourisme Montréal, runs in late autumn; check Tourisme Montréal for the current dates. Montréal en Lumière is a winter festival with a restaurant program. Sugar shack season, in late winter and early spring, brings a maple mood to menus across the city. Joining a festival can fill quiet weeks, but price your festival menu so it makes money and plan how to bring those guests back.

How do you staff a Montreal restaurant through the seasons?

• Hire for summer with clear end dates, so seasonal staff know what to expect.
• Keep a core team through the winter, even with fewer shifts; rehiring and retraining every spring costs more.
• Cross-train so one person can cover the bar, the floor or the pass on quiet nights.
• Plan holidays and maintenance for your slowest weeks.

What should you do with the slow months?

The quiet season is also your best time to work on the business:

1. Update your menu, photos and listings for the winter, in French first.
2. Fix the dining room: lighting, heating, a draught from the door.
3. Review your numbers: which dishes made money, which nights lost it.
4. Train the team on new dishes and service.
5. Plan next summer's terrasse early, including your permit renewal.

How do you prepare for spring in Montreal?

The first warm days of spring bring the whole city outside at once, and the restaurants that are ready win the season. Renew your terrasse permit on time, check your outdoor furniture, hire and train summer staff before you need them, and if your street is likely to become a pedestrian zone, plan a terrasse that makes people stop. The City publishes the summer's pedestrian streets and their dates each year.

Mosey's venue tools include loyalty, promotions and analytics that show your quiet hours, which can help a restaurant plan for the slow months rather than react to them.

More guides for your business:

• How to get more customers for a Montreal restaurant
• Do restaurant menus have to be in French in Quebec? A guide for owners
• Tip suggestions on payment terminals in Quebec: what restaurants must do

More in the Canadian guides for food businesses.