Beauty's
A longstanding Montreal kosher-style diner known for Jewish-Montreal breakfast and brunch specialties.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Beauty's Luncheonette, commonly called Beauty's, is a family-associated diner and Montreal culinary landmark located at the corner of Mount Royal Avenue West and Saint-Urbain Street in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. The restaurant opened in 1942, when newlyweds Hyman “Hymie” and Freda Sckolnick acquired a small snack bar serving the workers of Montreal's nearby garment district. The business initially operated under the name Bancroft Coffee Shop, but customers began referring to it as Beauty's, a nickname connected with Hymie Sckolnick's bowling identity. The informal name eventually became the restaurant's established public identity. The restaurant's early business centered on quick hot lunches, but demand for Sunday breakfasts helped transform the small counter operation into a destination for breakfast and brunch. That transition reflected the surrounding Jewish neighborhood's food culture as well as broader North American luncheonette traditions. Beauty's is often described as kosher-style rather than kosher: its menu draws on Jewish comfort food and Montreal Jewish culinary traditions without being presented as a fully kosher restaurant. Beauty's is particularly associated with two signature offerings. The Mish-Mash is a substantial omelette combining eggs with hot dog, salami, green pepper and fried onions, generally accompanied by home fries and a bagel. The Beauty's Special pairs a Montreal-style sesame bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon or lox, tomato and onion. Other established menu items include banana pancakes, challah French toast, blintzes and conventional diner breakfast plates. The restaurant has also treated Mish-Mash as a Canadian trademark, reinforcing the dish's connection with the Beauty's name. The Sckolnick family remained closely involved in the business. Their son Larry joined the restaurant in the 1960s and later assumed day-to-day operating responsibilities, while later generations also worked there. This continuity, the unchanged corner location, and the retention of a recognizable lunch-counter atmosphere have helped Beauty's become a reference point for Montreal's Jewish culinary heritage. It is frequently discussed alongside institutions such as Wilensky's Light Lunch and Schwartz's, although Beauty's occupies a distinct breakfast-and-brunch niche. Beauty's temporarily closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure was followed by a substantial renovation that updated infrastructure and refreshed the interior while preserving the restaurant's traditional visual character. Beauty's reopened in June 2021. Its enduring appeal rests less on geographic expansion than on continuity: a familiar neighborhood setting, a multigenerational operating story, and a menu whose best-known dishes connect Montreal diner culture with Jewish Canadian foodways.
History
Beauty's Luncheonette began in 1942 when Hyman “Hymie” and Freda Sckolnick, newly married at the time, purchased a small snack bar at the intersection of Mount Royal Avenue West and Saint-Urbain Street in Montreal. The location served workers in the surrounding garment district, which was part of the city's historic Jewish quarter. The new owners initially operated the business as the Bancroft Coffee Shop and concentrated on quick hot lunches and counter service. The restaurant's later identity developed through its customers. Regulars used the name Beauty's, associated with Hymie Sckolnick's bowling nickname, and the informal designation eventually replaced the original business name in public use. Sunday breakfast demand gradually became as important as weekday lunch traffic. This shift turned the snack bar into a durable breakfast and brunch institution and established a format that Beauty's would retain for decades. Freda Sckolnick played a major role in shaping the menu. She is credited with developing the Mish-Mash omelette and the Beauty's Special, two offerings that became central to the restaurant's identity. The Mish-Mash combines eggs with hot dog, salami, green pepper and fried onions, while the Beauty's Special presents a Montreal-style sesame bagel with cream cheese, lox, tomato and onion. Together, these dishes express Beauty's blend of Jewish culinary traditions, local Montreal foodways and familiar North American diner fare. The menu also developed around pancakes, challah French toast, blintzes and other breakfast staples. Beauty's is commonly characterized as a kosher-style diner, not as a kosher restaurant. Its significance lies in the way it preserves Jewish-Montreal flavors and rituals of casual eating within a classic luncheonette setting. The restaurant expanded into an adjoining space over time, but remained at the same corner where it opened. Its continued family connection was another important part of its development: son Larry joined in the 1960s and later took on day-to-day operating duties, with later generations also participating in the business. The restaurant's reputation grew beyond its immediate neighborhood. Writers and visitors frequently identified it as a Montreal institution and placed it within the city's Jewish culinary heritage alongside other historic eateries, including Wilensky's Light Lunch and Schwartz's. Its stable location, familiar menu and multigenerational character became as important to its public image as any individual dish. The restaurant also registered Mish-Mash as a Canadian trademark and periodically asserted the association between that name and Beauty's. Hymie Sckolnick died in 2017 at age 96. Beauty's later faced the broad operational disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and closed in March 2020. During the closure, the premises underwent a substantial renovation. The work refreshed the interior and modernized infrastructure without discarding the traditional lunch-counter aesthetic. Beauty's reopened in June 2021, continuing as an active Montreal breakfast and brunch destination rather than pursuing a chain-based expansion model.
- 2021
Reopening after renovation
[1]The diner reopens in June with updated infrastructure and a refreshed interior that preserves its established aesthetic.
- 2020
Pandemic closure and renovation
[1]Beauty's closes in March during the COVID-19 pandemic and undertakes a substantial renovation.
- 2017
Death of co-founder Hyman Sckolnick
[1]Hyman “Hymie” Sckolnick dies at age 96.
- 1960
Larry Sckolnick joins the family business
[1]The founders' son Larry joins Beauty's during the 1960s and later assumes day-to-day operating responsibilities.
- 1942
Beauty's opens in Montreal
[1]Hyman and Freda Sckolnick acquire a snack bar at Mount Royal Avenue West and Saint-Urbain Street and begin operating the business.
Products and positioning
A heritage Montreal luncheonette positioned around family continuity, Jewish-Montreal food culture, classic diner hospitality, and signature breakfast and brunch dishes.
Omelette
Mish-Mash omelette
Beauty's signature omelette combines three eggs with hot dog, salami, green pepper and fried onions. It is typically served with home fries and a bagel, making it a substantial expression of the restaurant's fusion of Jewish-Montreal food traditions and classic diner breakfast cooking. Beauty's has registered Mish-Mash as a Canadian trademark.
Bagel and lox dish
Beauty's Special
The Beauty's Special is a Montreal-style sesame bagel served with cream cheese, smoked salmon or lox, tomato and onion. The dish is one of the restaurant's most recognizable offerings and connects the luncheonette's breakfast menu with the Jewish culinary traditions associated with Montreal.
Pancakes
Banana pancakes
Banana pancakes are among Beauty's longstanding breakfast offerings. They represent the restaurant's broader classic-brunch menu alongside omelettes, French toast and other familiar luncheonette dishes.
French toast
Challah French toast
Challah French toast draws on Jewish baking traditions while fitting the restaurant's all-day breakfast format. It is part of the established menu associated with Beauty's traditional brunch service.
Jewish-style comfort food
Blintzes
Blintzes are included among Beauty's long-running Jewish-style comfort-food offerings. Their presence helps distinguish the restaurant's menu from a generic North American diner breakfast.
Brand decisions
2020
Temporary closure and premises renovationStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Beauty's to close in March 2020, creating an opportunity to undertake a substantial renovation of the restaurant.
Action taken
The business updated its infrastructure and refreshed the interior while retaining the recognizable lunch-counter character associated with the historic diner.
Aftermath
Beauty's reopened in June 2021 and continued operating from its original Montreal corner.
Recent events
- 2021
Beauty's reopens after renovation[1]
Other
The Montreal diner reopened in June 2021 following a substantial renovation that modernized infrastructure while retaining its traditional lunch-counter atmosphere.
- 2021
Beauty's Luncheonette reopens after renovation[1]
Other
The diner reopened in June 2021 after renovations that updated its infrastructure and interior while preserving its established lunch-counter character.
- 2020
Beauty's closes during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Other
Beauty's shut its restaurant in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted restaurant operations and public dining.
- 2020
Beauty's Luncheonette closes during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Other
Beauty's closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently underwent a major renovation.
- 2017
Founder Hyman Sckolnick dies[1]
Other
Co-founder Hyman “Hymie” Sckolnick died at the age of 96 after helping establish Beauty's as a long-running Montreal institution.
- 2017
Co-founder Hymie Sckolnick dies[1]
Leadership change
Hyman (Hymie) Sckolnick, who co-founded Beauty's with Freda, died at age 96.
Sources2 sources
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