Server Not Servant

86 Boston’s Legendary Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe: 1927-2014

By: Patrick Maguire

Book Chapter: Human-to-Human Service

Posted: 06/29/2014

When Fontaine locked the door on Thursday afternoon and Arthur climbed onto a stool to take the weight off his bum knee, I knew it was time. You could feel it. The Manjourides siblings have earned their retirement after working very hard together at Charlie’s for nearly four decades–an amazing feat unto itself.

I attended the last day of service on Saturday morning. Some of us camp out for concert and playoff tix, some of us for food and history in the making. My goal was to be first in line for the 7:30 opening. When I arrived at 6:25, the counter was already full of melancholy regulars and lively banter.

There are very few authentic places left that exude as much soul and history that Charlie’s did. After the door was locked on Thursday, I slowly walked around the restaurant taking in every framed picture and scrap of memorabilia, some I had never seen before. Fontaine filled in the blanks for me, “Oh yeah, that picture of me and Marie was used for an AT&T Ad. Yes, that’s Dennis Johnson (“DJ” Celtics legend), Al Pacino,…the Texas Chainsaw Massacre guys were so nice…”

We’ve all been to wakes, funerals or memorial services and thought, “If only we could have gathered this group when (deceased) was alive to celebrate their life with them and let them know how much we loved them.”  The “living wake” for Charlie’s began on May 11th when the cat jumped out of the bag via twitter. Since then, and another twitter announcement, the Manjourides siblings have been inundated with media and sentimental regulars visiting for one last meal to say goodbye and congratulations. One gentleman who frequented Charlie’s 50 years ago, drove up alone last week from Alabama to pay his respects.

Personally, I’m thrilled for the Manjourides siblings and their families. I’m honored to have befriended all of them, and so happy they’ve closed the restaurant on their own terms. I have so much respect for what they have accomplished and endured. I’ll repeat the message I posted on my Facebook album dedicated to the extended Charlie’s family:

Much gratitude to siblings, Arthur, Chris, Fontaine, and Marie who have been operating Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe together for decades without killing each other!! I’ll miss the history, charm, wit, character(s), stories and friendship. Thank you for serving the South End neighborhood and Boston (and far beyond) so long and so well. Congratulations on a legendary run, and good luck on the next chapter. Cheers to everyone on both sides of the counter at Charlie’s, past and present.

To Charlie’s, a legendary American institution. Cheers. You will be greatly missed.

Tributes:

Boston Globe June 29, 2014 by Dan Adams

WBUR-Boston’s NPR news station June 27, 2014

Boston Magazine May 14, 2014 by Christopher Hughes

MySouthEnd.com-South End News May 12, 2014  by George Cuddy

Where Hash Rules  by George Cuddy

Facebook Album dedicated to Charlie’s & the Manjourides family by Patrick Maguire

WHDH Boston June 28,2014

 

 

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2 Responses to “86 Boston’s Legendary Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe: 1927-2014”

1. Paul Maguire says:

   June 30, 2014 at 2:46 AM

   I never ate at Charlie’s, but am in a constant quest for a place like Charlie’s that Patrick’s described…a place with “history, charm, wit, character, etc.,” and I would add that all adds-up to pride in a great product! A rare find, today.

2. Frederick says:

   June 30, 2014 at 9:06 AM

   Beautifully written eulogy for a place that brought so many of us such good memories. Our youth, our wild adulthood, and now our middle age, has been spent over countless plates of turkey hash at Charlies. How many bleary-eyed Saturday morning dates did I with have with my boyfriend, who is now my husband, at the counter at Charlie’s? How many times did Geraldine sneak in behind me and give me a big hug?

Permalink | Posted in Human-to-Human Service | 2 Comments »

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