Americano? Nope. Try a Canadiano at this Montreal café as trade war heats up
Bars, restaurants boycott U.S. products to oppose Trump tariffs
Montreal cafés, bars, and restaurants are getting their elbows up and removing American products from their menus to send a bold message to the United States after President Donald Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.
At a café in the West Island, one item is sparking conversation.
Ashley Murdoch, co-owner of Coco & Bean café, says her café is doing its part to take a stand against the United States by renaming the Americano coffee to the "Canadiano."
"We wanted to, without getting too political, have fun with the idea and switch our name ... to really show how we support and how we're trying to support our community," said Murdoch.
"We love our community and we want to show them that we're all in it together."
This shift comes after Trump's tariffs took effect on Tuesday, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to impose 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products.
At Murdoch's coffee shop, she says most of the ingredients are Canadian. For the few that are American, she is committed to finding alternative suppliers.
She noted that her clients have responded positively to the changes so far and she applauds other local business owners who are joining the movement.
"I love it, I think it's great that we're standing together. We have to do something, it's our voices that are going to make a difference at the end of the day," she said.
John Edward Gumbley, president of JEGantic group, which runs Yoko Luna bar, has been outspoken about tariffs since Trump's threats began making headlines.
In February, he posted a series of videos on Instagram called "Trump for Dummies" to share his thoughts and explain the situation to his followers.
"[Trump] scared the American population into worrying about what's going to happen to them, why can't they afford bacon and eggs," said Gumbley. "And now, he's putting forth policies that are going to make bacon and eggs cost more."
In response, he is removing several American alcohol brands from his establishments, including a wine from California, a vodka brand from Miami and even Jack Daniel's whiskey — a bestseller at his bars and clubs.
Gumbley anticipates Canada's counter-tariffs could increase the cost of the ingredients he purchases by 25 per cent, but says he won't pass the burden onto customers. This could cause a "lot of pain" for his businesses, forcing them to absorb the additional costs.
Still, he believes it's the right course of action.
"This is Canada first and everybody has to do their part because the only way to really end this issue is if they feel the pain as well," he said of the U.S. "We have to find ways to fight back and slowly develop independence from them so this can't happen again."
As of Tuesday, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), Quebec's liquor board, started pulling American products from its shelves at the request of Premier François Legault.
Morrie Baker, owner of Burger Bar Crescent, also chose to remove Jack Daniel's whiskey from his shelves, even though it's his "major sponsor" during the Formula One weekend in the city.
"This is all happening so quickly, in real time, that nobody really has a chance to plan and to react," he said.
He's revised his drink recipes, replacing the iconic American Tennessee whiskey with Canadian Club rye whiskey.
While he anticipates an influx of American tourists in the city this summer because of the low value of the Canadian dollar, he says for now, he's determined to support Canadian products.
"We're not shopping American. We believe in elbows up. We're Canadian and we have to support ourselves," he said.
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