The year was 1957.  On board a ship bound for Canada, Georges Durst imagined the wilderness he thought he would soon encounter. The 22-year old forestry engineer had no doubt that among this land of immense riches he would soon be able to build an empire for himself … in an urban jungle.

The Irving Pulp & Paper company, who had hired him, in a single day laid off 8,000 employees. The young man from Alsace was suddenly forced to change path, and quickly found employment as a porter in a Laurentian hotel. He then became a bartender at Troïka, the popular Russian restaurant in Montreal. And thus a lifelong passion for entertainment was begun.

At the age of 29, he opened his first bar called Don Juan, in collaboration with veteran restaurateur Johnny Vago. A success from the outset, Durst did not wait long to open a second nightclub directly across from the famous Playboy Club on Aylmer Street. Named for its creator, it was first called George’s, later re-baptized as Maxwell and then became Biddle’s, the inspiration for the original House of Jazz. Its legendary backgammon tournaments, the latest fad at the time, attracted members of the jet set from all over.

Durst is known for his ability to create stunning interiors with an undeniably charming ambience. An enigmatic and fascinating figure, he finds his natural balance by walking on Mount Royal with his wild cats.
During the 70’s, this dynamic entrepreneur dominated Quebec nightlife with 20 very popular hotspots. His flair at identifying musical trends and his ability to develop the talents of promising artists is well known. Some lucky patrons remember seeing Gino Vanelli kick off his career at Dominique’s, and bassistCharlie Biddle at Tiffany’s, two CrescentStreet ‘must-go-to’. It is not surprising either that artists as famous as Joe Dassin and David Bowie, among others, have chosen to hold their press conferences in his clubs.

Then it was the 80’s. The baby-boomers were the market to target. Always a visionary, Durst decided to place more emphasis on restaurants and the food service that accompanied the live entertainment for which he had become renowned. He was one of the first to combine, under the same roof, three different establishments. In picturesque Old Montreal, he opened Les Serres for fine French cuisine (classical music), then the Bijou club for after-dinner drinks (Soul, Rhythm & Blues) and then dancing at the Monte Carlo, a private club that boasted members such as Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Charles Aznavour. In 1986, Monte Carlo took on a more Slavic flavour where guests could partake of vodka and caviar. To the moving melodies of gypsy violins, Omar Sharif and his son Tarek were invited to inaugurate the new Zhivago.

At the same time, the popular Louisiana-style barbecued chicken and ribs served at Biddle’s inspired the launch of a chain of restaurants known as La Cage aux Sports. Within 10 years, Georges Durst had opened 43 restaurants, earning him in 1987 the title of ‘Best Job Creator in Canada’ and in 1993, ‘National Restaurateur of the Year’. These establishments gave this rabid art and memorabilia collector a venue to display his multiple treasures, discovered around the globe, including the life-size airplanes suspended from the ceiling in his restaurants. Another achievement to add to the list of this Quebec entrepreneur was the registration of his company on the Montreal Stock E=-xchange under the name Sportscene.

An accomplished businessman, Georges Durst has directed his efforts simultaneously towards various projects in the fields of real estate (eg. Usine Mont-Royal), finance, hi-tech (Saratoga ATM / Electronic Solutions – exchange marker ‘SAR’) and movie sets (Ciné-Cité St-Hubert and Paramount Decor). Durst makes his mark in every domain in which he is active through his innovative marketing strategies. A philanthropist, he frequently contributes to the fund-raising efforts of a wide variety of organizations. In particular, he consistently supports youth-related causes, especially for young restaurateurs and budding musicians.

2006. On board a plane en route to the Philippines, Georges Durst is thinking of all the new Houses of Jazz he is opening in Hong Kong, Asia, Moscow with star goalie Vladislav Tretiak, Paris and other corners of the planet.

Stay tuned!