Brasserie le Manoir in the West Island is losing one of its most familiar faces. After 47 years behind the taps, “Manoir Bob” is calling it quits.
On Bob Harmidy’s first day, Robert Bourassa was the premier of Quebec, Pierre-Elliot Trudeau was on his third term as prime minister and the minimum wage was $2.60/hr.
“I’m part of the furniture. What can I say?” says Harmidy with a slight chuckle.
“This has been my home away from home, and working with these people, they’ve been like family,” he says.
Loyalty appears to run deep at the Manoir.
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“I’ve been working with Bob for 33 years,” says Manoir’s head chef, Chantale Sauvé.
“I started here when I was 19 years old. I was a little kid. I was very shy, and Bob took me under his wings.”
Harmidy doesn’t necessarily want to call it a career, but after 47 years, he says it’s time to take a load off.
“I’ve had a lot of wear and tear on my knees. I’ve had two operations already,” he adds. “My doctor said, ‘I’ll be seeing you again.'”
To celebrate Manoir Bob hanging up his apron, Sauvé put together the “Manoir Gazette,” a paper detailing the history of le Manoir in its entirety.
“For me, Bob is a father figure. When I started, he became a friend, and I love him to death,” says Sauvé. “I can’t imagine having the Manoir without him.”
Even though his departure is bittersweet, Harmidy knows exactly how he’ll be spending his time off.
“We’re planning two months down south this winter, and then Europe, or Asia, or Africa,” he says. “Wherever it takes us, we plan to see the world.”
Although Harmidy won’t be serving customers anymore, he says the Manoir will always be his second home. He also hasn’t completely decided if his decision to hang up his apron is final.
“Who knows? Tom Brady retired once and came back … never say never.”
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