Longtime Joe's Original and Freestones bartender and manager serves his last drink.
Seth Chitwood, The Standard-Times
Updated 6 min read
NEW BEDFORD – Restaurant patrons and staff members toasted longtime bartender and manager Norman L'Heureux as he celebrated his final day at Joe’s Original on Wednesday.
“He's hired many of the staff that are in this building. He's made an enormous impact on the team here. He knows everybody in Dartmouth,” said Julia Reidy, former general manager of Joe’s.
L'Heureux worked for 19 years at Joe’s when it was Not Your Average Joe's and Joe’s Original in both the Dartmouth and Seekonk restaurants. He was also a bartender and manager at Freestone's City Grill for 16 years prior.
“He has more energy than a 10-year old boy. He runs circles around the youngsters," Reidy said.
Douglas Lopes, who has worked for the Silverstein’s before it became Servedwell Hospitality, for 43 years, was partnered with L'Heureux behind the bar and as manager for several years in Seekonk.
Jamie Strobino, left, COO and partner of Servedwell Hospitality, Norman L'Heureux, center, and Stephen Silverstein, owner of Servedwell Hospitality, right, celebrate L'Heureux's final day at Joe's Original on Oct. 25.
“One of my most wonderful times is having worked with Norman,” Lopes said. “Working with him was a joy.”
Ready to say goodbye to 35 years behind the bar
Joe’s Original was full of longtime customers, friends and former staff members returning to celebrate L'Heureux’s final day on the job on Oct. 26.
“I’ve been crying all day,” L'Heureux said with a laugh.
L'Heureux said after trying to retire for the past two years, but staying on to fill management roles during the pandemic, he said now that Joe’s has found its footing again with the staff, he was ready to finally step away.
“I'll never really leave this place. This is my home and it will always be my home,” he said.
Norman L'Heureux, right, hugs a former staff member, while celebrating his final day at Joe's Original.
L'Heureux said he has seen it all from behind the bar over the last four decades. He remembers when smoking was banned in bars and observed the culture change within the bar scene.
Now with cannabis, it’s become an entirely different scene especially when serving people. “I'm glad I'm not behind the bar anymore, because it's definitely a lot different than it used to be. That's for sure,” he said.
“It wasn't like it is now, like the drinking and driving thing was bad back then, but it's a lot worse now and it's just a lot different. You get people who are on cannabis and coming in and drinking on that. So it's a difficult thing.”
Regulars, staff members toast to L'Heureux at Joe’s
Stephen Silverstein, owner of Servedwell Hospitality as well as several restaurants around the area including Joe’s Original, remembers L'Heureux from when he was a young man hanging at Freestone's.
“The drinking age was 18 when I was a kid, and it was a crazy place. Norman was the guy behind the bar, it was unbelievable,” Silverstein said, adding that Freestone's was just like the TV show “Cheers” back then.
Solena Morris, who became the general manager of Joe’s only six months ago, said that L'Heureux has been her biggest support as she ventured into the role.
“He’s just a wealth of knowledge,” Morris said.
Staff members from Joe's Original decorate Norman L'Heureux's parking space on his final day of work on Oct. 25.
Maureen Dutra, VP of Purchasing for Servedwell, was the one who hired L'Heureux. “He's a legend. His personality, his drive… He’s willing to do anything for anybody and never complains and always has a smile on his face. It was a pleasure to work with him,” she said.
Richard Amaral, who has worked on and off at Joe’s for over 25 years, said that working with L'Heureux has been a pleasure.
“He's always been a great guy, super upbeat, and a lot of fun. Kind of like a father figure-ish. It's gonna be a big hole left here,” Amaral said.
Teaching masterful hospitality skills to everyone
“He's going to be dearly, dearly missed, because we went through ups and downs and became very, very close friends and I definitely wish them the best,” said Volha Lakivo, a longtime bartender at Joe’s.
“He taught me customer service and just how to take care of the guests and how to make them feel like they're at home. And make sure they will come back.”
Several regulars were also in attendance to toast L'Heureux on his departure. Derek Morris, who comes to the bar almost five times a week, said L'Heureux makes him feel special.
“He does it for every single person. He just knows the business. He knows what he's doing. So we'll miss him a lot,” Morris said.
Norman L'Heureux, center, celebrates his final day of work at Joe's Original after 35 years of bartending in Dartmouth and New Bedford.
Jim and Jayne Varao, who visit Joe’s frequently, said they also vacationed with L'Heureux and his wife.
“We’ve known him for like 40 years. He is always the best bartender and host, the most personable person, most loving, caring, efficient and the best person that you want to be in company with,” Jayne Varao said.
“He's an incredibly charismatic guy and he knows exactly what to say,” said Sarah Wreszin. “We used to talk a lot about music. That was our connection. He sort of looked after me in some ways.”
The ‘Original Joe’s’ himself makes an appearance
Michael G. Oliveira, who recently published the book “Don't Take it for Granted: The Journey Within,” was inspired by his time at Joe’s and the people he met. He said L'Heureux is quoted numerous times in the book.
“I just came here when I was turning 64. I'm now 69. And I will tell you that when I came in here, Norm was the greatest of hosts and brought me out of my grief,” Oliveira said.
“I'll never forget his expression every time you ask how are you? He will go, “Faaan-tastic!” said Maddy Mangahn, another regular at the bar.
Jamie Strobino, COO and partner of Servedwell Hospitality, also made a surprise appearance to wish L'Heureux the best on his retirement. “Norman has been a New Bedford and Dartmouth institution since we all had knee pants on and frankly there's no one like him. No better hospitality and no better person I can think of,” he said.
The “Original Joe” himself, Joseph Silverstein, who is about to turn 97 years old, also stopped by to give his regards to L'Heureux on his final day.
“Never knew a better guy, a better host than Norman. And I hate to see him go,” Silverstein said.
“It's been a wild ride and it's been fantastic. I have a lot of people that love me. And I've been very, very lucky in my career for that,” L'Heureux said.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
