It's not often that a father and son work at the same business. But Christian Finn and Bob Jones have worked side by side for 20 years. “It’s nice working so closely. I get to work with him, and he’s one of the best,’ says Finn.

That closeness is part of the appeal of the Mayflower restaurtant and pub. It's one of the few remaining Ottawa restaurants where everyone knows your name and order. “It's comforting, the fact we have little turn over with staff, ” says Bob Jones, the general manager. “ They (patrons) come in, they recognize the faces serving them. In a lot of cases the server knows exactly what the patron wants.”

The Mayflower restaurant and pub has been Frank Lord's watering hole for 3 decades. He's made a lot of friends here and likes the character of the place, like the nicotine stained ceiling in the pub. The general manager says they tried to clean it up after the smoking ban took effect but the customers told management they liked it the way it was.

Word of the closure came as a surprise to staff and patrons alike. The restaurant will close in early November.