WINDSOR, ONT. -- A longtime Chinese restaurant near the city’s core is closed, after the owners were evicted.

Antoine D’Ailly is representing the owners of Jade Cuisine Restaurant and says his clients received the news Sunday morning.

“Now that my business is going down, I don’t know what I can do,” says Mei Wung, owner of Jade Cuisine since 2016.

The restaurant is located at the corner of Victoria and Wyandotte. A letter posted on the buildings front door says more than $22,000 is owed.

D’Ailly says a partial payment was made at the end of March, but the business suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I mean, they’ve gone above and beyond in terms of taking care of the building and paying for things that weren’t necessarily their responsibilities,” says D’Ailly.

He now hopes to get an adjudication to determine how much money is actually owed to the landlord.

“To see a landlord really just turn the screws on a hard working couple trying to make the best of things in these desperate situations is very difficult for them to bear,” says D’Ailly.

CTV Windsor did reach out the landlord's laywer, who says they will not comment at this time.

As for D’Ailly, he hopes the provincial government will step up and help small business owners.