the saga of an emblematic family of hoteliers from Brest

In the spring of 1888, the Lombard couple arrived in Brest where they took over the American Bar, located at the intersection of rue de la Mairie and la Grand’rue (current rue Louis-Pasteur). Their installation was discreet but, very quickly, Jean-Baptiste and Adèle Lombard published in the press advertisements praising in particular the regular arrivals of fresh oysters, thus formalizing the opening of the stall at the Saint-Louis hall with which the bar was twinned.

By 1894, the business had prospered enough for the owner to proudly display his name in his advertisements, thus offering a guarantee of the owner’s commitment to customers. The advertisements also emphasized the offer of fork lunchestherefore consistent foods, as opposed to soup.

From the American Bar to the Grand Bar Lombard

In 1895, the Lombards sold their property and bought Madame Barbe’s Grand Bar, opposite the Saint-Louis halls. The Grand Bar Lombard, more spacious and better equipped than the American Bar, made it possible to move to an à la carte catering offer.

From the summer of 1898, it was bordered by the tram line.

When, on December 5 of the same year, Jean-Baptiste Lombard died, Adèle continued to run the establishment tirelessly with the support of his two eldest children, Auguste and Élisa: thus, despite the mourning, a gigantic menu was offered on Christmas Eve and, when the Pernod factory burned in 1901, the Grand Bar did not take the opportunity to increase the price Absinthe!

Adèle Lombard died in 1904: a new era began.

To be continued in a future publication.

Benoit Quinquis

Source: Conference by Georges Lombard delivered on December 19, 2024 at the Victor-Segalen faculty in Brest.

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