A A Restaurant

At age 16, Andre Annoussos, a Greece native, arrived in Montreal speaking only Greek and with barely a penny in his pocket. He managed to find work as a dishwasher in a Texan restaurant and find affordable lodging in a rooming house. As he began to get a handle on the local languages and gained experience in the restaurant, he made his way up to assistant cook. For two years he worked long hours and saved money with the hopes of opening his own business. “My dad would walk home each day instead of taking the bus to save that extra ten cents,” says Andre’s son Peter, who now manages the restaurant. “He was saving up.”

In 1962, Andre was finally ready to pour his savings into his very own restaurant. Along his route home, he stumbled upon a vacant space in an old building that he felt was exactly what he was looking for. Soon, the doors of AA opened as a casual sit-down diner with affordable comfort food, named simply with Andre's initials.

Since it was the burgers and poutines that kept selling out, the menu and concept evolved over time. AA became more of a place to eat-and-run, or grab some takeout – simple diner meals that were quick to make and easy to serve. Later, Andre moved AA into a newer space with a more modern look – a place that is still one of Saint-Henri's favourite neighbourhood diners.