When groom-to-be Marc Nascimento went to pick up the vest, bow-tie and pocketsquare he paid for two days earlier at a Tuxedo Royale, he was greeted with locked doors.
A sign on the window of the Ontario suit rental and retail store in Mississauga, Ont., on Tuesday said the company had “suspended all operations indefinitely during a financial restructuring.”
Wedding parties across Ontario are scrambling after the sudden closure of the suit rental and retail store this week. While Nascimento learned of the closure in person, others found out from news stories or from the company’s outgoing phone message. Tuxedo Royale has not returned requests for comment and hasn’t posted the news in any online forum.
“It is not known at this time when the restructuring will be complete and when the stores will reopen,” a man says in the outgoing phone message. “Unfortunately due to the current restructuring and challenges facing the business, refunds will not be made available for deposits and payments made previously.”
The no-refund policy was disappointing for Nascimento, who owns a games store in Hamilton. “As a store owner, if I had to close up my shop, I think I’d give any of my customers that have credit a chance to come and use it before we go out,” he said.
Though Nascimento spent just $130 on the tux accessories for his upcoming October wedding, some parties are in the hole for much more. Tricia Ryan’s wedding party had paid the store over $1,200 to rent six tuxes, she told CTV News Toronto’s Pat Foran. The news also sent Stoney Creek-resident Katie McGrade’s wedding planning into a scramble too. Her wedding party had rented six tuxedos for a November wedding. “I was stunned I was shaking,” she told CTV News Toronto. “I thought what am I going to do now trying to find something in a rush?"
Meghan Ricci’s sister and fiancée were set to pick up six groomsmen tuxedos on Thursday for a Saturday wedding when they learned of the closure from a CTVNews.ca article. They had yet to pay in full but are expecting to lose hundreds from their deposit. She repeatedly tried calling the store but was only greeted by the outgoing message.
“She was devastated,” Ricci told CTVNews.ca. “Seventy-two hours before your wedding, you’re tying up all the loose ends and everything is basically paid for and ready to go.”
