Armada, a story of the heart since 2016
2014, Fierté mondiale in Toronto (World Gay Pride). That is where the venture The Men's Room, the parent company of Armada as it is known in Montréal today, began in the minds of Francis Gaudreault and his business partner, Steve Palmer.
The Men's Room has three branches: Toronto (2014), Chicago (2016), and Montréal (2016). The three shops share many similarities, but each has its own identity, reflecting the culture of its scene. The project evolved rapidly and required considerable work and effort from its founders.
You can't talk about The Men's Room and Armada without mentioning Francis Gaudreault's role in their history. Born in 1984 in Alberta to a family in which both parents are members of the Canadian Armed Forces, he lived in Germany, Ontario, and then Nouvelle-Écosse. At 17, after finishing high school, he left home to settle in Ontario. After a few years back in higher education, he moved to Toronto in 2008 at age 24. He then worked in various establishments in the gay scene.
Starting in 2010, he and his partners created Pitbull Events to organize themed DJ parties for the LGBT community. Initially quite modest, these parties quickly became popular, especially with Fierté Mondiale in 2014, when thousands of people took part.
Following their major success, it was agreed to reinvest the profits from these events in opening the first The Men's Room boutique in Toronto in 2014. Alongside clothing and fetish items, it housed a barbershop and a leather workshop. Soon after, an investor from Chicago, in the United States, proposed a partnership to open a similar store there, which launched in 2016. That same year, it was learned that the owner of Montréal's Fétiche Armada boutique (founded in 2011) wanted to sell his business. Within hours, Francis and his The Men's Room partner Steve Palmer had their offer accepted. Armada par The Men's Room was created in the same space, then moved to its current location in the heart of the Village in 2018. The Montréal store's size ruled out a barbershop (especially since there were two major ones nearby at the time), but a leather workshop has operated there ever since, producing items for the boutique's customers.
Francis admits that, like most commercial businesses, the COVID pandemic was a tough time, forcing its leaders to show originality and to get off the beaten path (think outside of the box) to avoid disaster. Rules and restrictions varied from place to place, and they had to be taken into account and the crisis managed intelligently.
Even today, Armada Par The Men's Room is recognized as an essential one-stop shop for all fetish and original clothing needs, appreciated by gay men but not only them. Perfectly informed and bilingual "kink" experts are always available to help explore new and exciting interests. Specializing in sportswear, neoprene, leather, and bondage gear, Armada is "the ideal place to explore your wild side," the website explains. Any leather piece can be customized in-store to make it the best possible gear each person wants.
Francis is proud to have a team of about ten people he can rely on completely at the Montréal shop. He considers this a major asset for business success and good customer relations. In total, The Men’s Room employs between 35 and 40 people across its three shops.
Armada also sells tickets for some of the most important LGBTQ events in Montréal, such as Fierté Montréal and the Black and Blue festival (of which PittBull Events is now a partner), among others. In Montréal, as if that weren’t enough, Francis Gaudreault is personally involved with community organizations, notably Maison Plein Cœur, which supports people living with HIV, with fundraisers and special contributions. In recent years, he has served on the board of the Société de développement commercial (SDC) du Village, becoming its board president in April 2023. He also previously chaired the Village corporation in Toronto for two years, starting in 2016.
One thing is certain: Francis’s attachment to Montréal is growing stronger. In fact, he and his partner (who has no involvement in the business) have started the process of buying a property to settle there permanently. Currently, Francis spends 50% of his time in Montréal, the rest in Toronto.
While no major development projects are currently on the table for the shops, Francis Gaudreault hasn’t ruled out eventually opening another type of business in Montréal for his clientele, such as a bar or entertainment venue, though the details are still to be determined. As for Pitbull Events, in addition to its popular parties at various times of the year, the company added gay cruises in the Caribbean for a few years. These will soon be replaced by sunny events at a popular site in Cuba, for example.
One thing's for sure: his recent accession to the presidency of the SDC du Village will keep him quite busy over the coming years. For he has promised to act energetically there to give back all the love this community greatly needs.
ARMADA Par The Men's Room
shopthemensroom.com
1359, rue Ste-Catherine Est, Montréal, QC
514 419-1089