The Origins of FANABOX™

It all started in 1994 for this family of FORMULA 1™ enthusiasts.

While the GRAND PRIX DU CANADA™ was opening its doors to spectators for a magnificent weekend of adrenaline and raw, Maxime and his family unfolded their tables and opened the boxes full of items bearing the effigies of the various GRAND PRIX™ racing teams.

The makeshift boutique installed on the mezzanine at the top of the stairs at the exit of the Jean-Drapeau metro station leading to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was the favourite place for fans where the magic took place.

Once the weekend was over, the tables returned to the truck and the boxes to their garage until the following year. Unsold merchandise was liquidated in another kiosk set up at King Edward Pier in Old Montreal during the summer. 

Over the years, the fans of FORMULA 1™ have become friends and loyal customers to this family that was always there from the get go. A permanent boutique was finally set up on Saint-Paul Street East in 2007 to serve the fans at all times despite the harsh winter months on the harbour front port. 

The business survived by diversifying with a larger array of genuine sports buffs merchandise, the likes of the revered Montréal Canadiens (NHL) Hockey Club , the Montréal Expos defunct but admired (MLB) baseball team and the much-loved  Montréal Impact Major League Soccer (MLS) club and the Alouettes football (CFL) team and especially after the cancellation of the 2009 FORMULA 1™ Montreal GRAND PRIX™.

Happening only two years after the opening of the boutique which then forced them to open the new family owned Spanish tapas restaurant called "VIVA LOUNGE" and then a creamery, "CAFÉ CARAMEL" on de La Commune Street East. directly under their new store to better control the situation in busy times. 

26 years later, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic put the planet on pause, the company took a sharp turn and rebranded itself as FANABOX™, still for its love for sports fans and a nod to the whole adventure that started "in a box" or a booth at the Metro.

It is also a nod to the drivers of FORMULA 1™, the family's initial passion, who are called to the pits by the team engineers for a pit stop, on the radio, by calling out: BOX! BOX! BOX!

A Refreshed and a More Complete Business Identity

The Official Race fans and Multi-Sports boutique, which is located in the charming and historic Old Town picturesque district, now offers a wide range of sporting goods to warmly and passionately serve its local and tourist clientele. Alongside the FORMULA 1™ collections, the store now rare and curated memorabilia carries, collectable die-casts, signed items,

exclusive parafernalia by the NHL® National Hockey League, the MLB® Major League Baseball, the NBA® Basketball and the basketball 2019 Champions Toronto RAPTORS and MLS® Montreal Impact jerseys and team kits, the Champions League, the EURO and the FIFA® World Cup, both nationally and internationally.

New Website and Online Experience 

The forced slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has allowed FANABOX™ to get closer to sports fans and modus by now offering a fast, mobile and multilingual (French, English and Spanish) website, also accepting multiple currency to hopefully, broaden its International horizons. All products available are under official licenses and can be shipped across Canada and worldwide. This innovation in online e-commerce, combined with the constant presence in the physical store for a personalized service respecting the strictest hygiene safety measures, will allow FANABOX™ to continue its growth as a innovative striving family business with a global impact.

Welcome to FANABOX™, the number one shop for F1® but also your #1 official store for professional sports items, all sports combined!

Hi Gilles! "See you soon".