In 1928, 23-year-old Joseph Schreter immigrated to Montreal, Canada from Romania in the hope of a new life. After a year of going door to door, he opened a store on rue St-Dominique; the apartment upstairs accommodates the family. Following a few moves, he established the store at the corner of St-Laurent and de Montigny (now de Maisonneuve), where the business will continue to grow.

In 1948, Josephs cousin, Irving Schreter, arrived in Canada and began working in the store. Over the next year,Imre, Josephs brother, and Barry (Dov) Kratz, another cousin, joined the team. In 1958 Joseph sold the business to Irving, Imre and Dov to pursue other business interests.