The upcoming closure of the restaurant La Terrasse du Pont, boulevard Mgr-Langlois, will mark the culmination of a long career in catering for Serge Beaudoin and Manon Meloche; and the disappointment of many loyal customers. Closing is scheduled for this Friday, November 29 at 8 p.m.
La Terrasse du Pont still remained one of the last family-style restaurants in Valleyfield. “We are like a family here, we know the majority of customers personally, some of whom have been coming here every day for several years. For some, we even have the contact details of their loved ones in case they are not there one morning,” says Manon Meloche.
Several workers also converge there to find cuisine entirely prepared on site, comfort food as they say, or order “a real hamburger”.
A loyalty that is also found within the team of employees, some of whom have been loyal to the position since the very beginning of the restaurant with more than 150 seats.
A long career
Serge Beaudoin acquired the restaurant on November 13, 1998, 26 years ago now. But he had already gained experience in 1972 with the defunct Couche-Tard snack bar, formerly next door to Château Salaberry.
The following year, he acquired another snack bar, the Carrefour du truckeur which, without being a truck stop fully equipped as we find today, was the meeting place for many truckers employed by companies that have now disappeared.
A photo of the former Le Carrefour restaurant remains prominently displayed in the restaurant. Photo Journal Saint-François – Mario Pitre)
Moreover, the late snack bar had been one of the few to have been able to operate during the ice storm of January 1998, to become a place of choice during this period of crisis for the guys from Hydro-Québec and the emergency services. ’emergency.
“I operated the Carrefour and the Terrace simultaneously for five years, until the people from the Casa Greccia approached me to acquire the site,” says the man whom some affectionately nickname “the highest paid dish washer in Quebec.”
Since then, Terrasse du Pont has acquired several new customers, with the development experienced by the city, the arrival of new workers, not to mention the effect caused by the closure of Casseau blanc, located nearby.
“We feared that the opening of Highway 30 would affect us and reduce traffic, but that was not the case. Even the opening of the neighboring Tim Horton’s had no impact on our activities,” he notes.
Retirement time
At 77, Serge Beaudoin has chosen to move on to a new stage in his life, in the company of Manon, whom he says was “indispensable to the success of the company. Without her, I never would have been able to,” he says.
The restaurant held its Christmas dinner in advance on November 20, a tradition that usually preceded the holiday break. (Photo Journal Saint-François – Mario Pitre)
His only regret is that the business does not remain a restaurant. The site was sold with a view to being transformed into a dental center for the Go dentists chain.
For Manon Meloche, it is the contact and friendship established with customers that will cause the most pain. “They’re going to miss us, but we’re going to miss them even more,” she said. It’s sad, but we’ve reached this point in our lives.”
The couple still does not know the date of the restaurant’s closure, but will savor every moment that remains until then to greet their loyal customers.
Serge Beaudoin and Manon Meloche. (Photo: Le Journal Saint-François – Mario Pitre)
