When you step inside M.H. Grover & Sons, it’s easy to sense that this Verdun shop has been around for four generations. The place exudes a kind of expertise and reputation that can only be built through decades of experience.
The story begins in 1925, when Max Hirsh, grandfather of current owner Kenny Grover, opened a men’s clothing store at the corner of Desmarchais and Wellington in Verdun. In 1945, the business moved to its current location at the corner of 3rd Avenue.
Shop’s storefront | Photo : Caroline Perron Photographies
In the early days, the store mainly sold workwear: white, blue, or beige shirts, the uniform of the workers of the time, along with men’s clothing in all sizes. With help from his son, Ronny Grover, who took over the shop in 1945, Mr. Hirsh dressed the workers of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Today, it’s Kenny Grover, who has worked in the store since 1985, at the head of the family business. For the past two years, he’s been joined by his own son, Jacob, who’s set to take over the family business. The future is already in good hands: “I can already tell he’ll be better than me,” Kenny says with a hint of pride.
Inside the store in the 80s | Photo : Gracieuseté Grover
At first, the store catered to men of all sizes. Although the selection gradually expanded to include clothing for every occasion, a major turning point came in 1995, when several of the nine men’s clothing stores on Wellington Street moved to Carrefour Angrignon. To stand out, Kenny Grover made the bold decision to specialize in clothing for big and tall men.
It was a daring choice that paid off. Today, there are only a handful of comparable stores across Canada—and just two in Montreal. “The other one focuses on lower-end products. We focus on high-end clothing, so people really come from elsewhere,” Kenny explains.
As a result, his clientele extends far beyond Verdun’s borders. He estimates that about 80% of his customers come from outside the neighborhood.
“I’ve had customers from Australia, two from Germany, people from Nova Scotia and Vancouver… One client even came all the way from Edmonton just to shop here,” he lists.
Inside the shop, 2017 | Photo : Caroline Perron Photographies
If Grover has thrived for a century, it’s also thanks to its flair for meeting customer needs through time and trends. The store introduced suits and jackets 25 years ago, and Kenny jokes about the number of sweatpants he sold during the pandemic.
The boutique places great importance on its suppliers and carries numerous Canadian and international brands. Most of the clothing is made in Canada, and even though some shirts come from elsewhere—“otherwise they would cost $250 each,” Kenny notes—the motto remains the same: delivering quality in both products and service.
Personalized, attentive service is also part of what makes Grover so reputable. The team, made up of seven experienced staff members, is always ready to advise and assist clients, even outside regular hours. Jacob recalls, “Last Sunday, I drove downtown to take a suit to the tailor for a client who needed it the next day. You don’t find this kind of service everywhere.”
Employee helping out a costumer during a sidewalk sale | Photo : Caroline Perron Photographies
Jacob Grover has only been working at the store for two years, but he already carries the ease and confidence of someone with entrepreneurship in his blood. A graduate in economics, he joined his father without hesitation when offered the chance to gradually take over the reins of the business. Kenny has been teaching him the ins and outs of the trade. “In my eyes, it takes four or five years to truly understand all aspects of the business,” he explains.
The bond between father and son is evident. They finish each other’s sentences and share a palpable mutual trust. When asked if he ever worried about the challenges of working with his father, Jacob responds without hesitation: “I never had a doubt. Not for a single second. Everything is going really well.”
Humble by nature, Kenny reflects on always remembering that he ran the store his father built: “He gave me a foundation, and I built on it. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. He has always advised me and supported my decisions.”
Despite his current passion, Kenny hadn’t planned this path: “I never really wanted to be here. I never liked the store. My father worked all the time, six days a week, never taking a vacation… But one day, after a year and a half on the job market, I didn’t like what I was doing. It must have been November 1984. My father told me to come help out for the holidays. I went in and… I never left.”
Ronny Grover and Max Hirsh, in the 1960s | Photo : Gracieuseté Kenny Grover
The store also holds treasures from the past, including numerous historical photographs of Verdun and their old cash register, dating back to 1910, and still working, though it can’t handle transactions over $100! This is the register Kenny started working on back in 1985.
Then there are the long-standing suppliers, like Stanfield’s, Jacob explains, who have been providing underwear since “…forever!” Kenny jokes from his office, sharing a moment of apparent father-son camaraderie.
The Grovers’ cash register, dating back to 1910
And what about the future? Grover is focused on continuity. The store already sells 15 to 20% of its products online, but the in-store experience remains irreplaceable. With Jacob taking on an increasingly active role, the family business is ready to write the next chapter of its story.
A century after opening, M.H. Grover & Sons is more than just a store: it’s a piece of Verdun’s history, a place where thousands of people have, at one point, found the garment and the fit they couldn’t find anywhere else.
CONTINUE READING