'We treat everyone like family': Inside one of the oldest diners in Kamloops
Walking into one of the oldest and beloved family diners in Kamloops is like walking back in time with retro 1950s decor and the nostalgic atmosphere of home.
The walls at Harold’s Family Restaurant are decorated with vinyl records, posters of classic cars and framed prints of famous stars from the era, including Marylin Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.
iNFOnews.ca sat down with owner Manny Mattis at a retro-style booth tucked in a corner amid the sounds of clinking cutlery and comforting murmur of conversations among customers tucking into lunch.
“We’re the oldest family run restaurant that has been operating under one name,” Mattis said as a friendly waiter came by to pour coffee.
The diner has been dishing up homemade comfort foods since it was opened in 1959 by the late Harold Knull. A friend of the Knull family, Mattis took over ownership in the 1980s following Knull’s death, and kept the retro-style and family-focussed theme.
Harold's continues draw in regular customers from near and far today, and has earned numerous awards and accolades over the years. Much of the staff are relatives of Mattis, and some staff have worked there for over three decades.
"We're all about family here, I think that's why we're successful," Mattis said. "We treat everyone like family."
Light pours into the diner through a wide front window and there is a large stone fireplace at one end of the room, lending a homey feel. There are aromas of French fries and hearty soups.
The diner is known for serving large portions of homemade food, some of which come from Mattis’ family recipes handed down through the generations, and almost everything is made from scratch.
“We marinate our own chicken for chicken strips, our beef burgers are made here with fresh hamburger,” he said. “We use only ground chuck which is the best mix of fat and lean so you get juicy burgers. All the soups are made here, and gravies, lasagna and meat sauce.”
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Mattis was born in Greece and came to Canada in 1947 at the age of two to Vancouver where his grandparents had already established in 1928. He moved to Kamloops with his wife and kids in 1974 and bought his first restaurant, the Hospitality Inn.
His dad and both uncles and grandfather all worked in the restaurant industry.
“In 1959 Harold had a diner down the street, he was in real estate and also a chef,” Mattis said. “He amassed this piece of property that takes in these two motels on either side and split it in half and sold it as two motel sites.
“Back then there was no McDonalds here, there was very little here, and the motel guys decided we need a restaurant here, so they phoned Harold and said what we’ll do is take a chunk of land out of the two motel sites and give you that and you put your restaurant here.”
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Mattis said Harold Knull shut down his first restaurant and reopened as Harold’s Family Restaurant in the location it’s in today. It was, and is, a prime location along the busy Trans-Canada Highway.
A couple of years after Knull’s death in 1984, the restaurant was put on the market.
“Harold’s wife was getting old and couldn’t run it,” Mattis said. “After Expo 86, they were very busy and it took everything out of her. She decided to sell.
“I, then had the Hospitality Inn up the hill and always coveted this location, they were always busy and doing well and I had the opportunity to buy the property as well which was a really big deal so I made them an offer and she accepted it and that was in 1987.”
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Over the decades, Mattis has seen families grow up. He has hired family members and countless community members, some of which went on to start their own family diners. He’s hosted parties, wedding receptions and banquets, and connected with longtime customers.
“Twenty years ago, we had so many grandparents bringing their grand kids in here to show them were grandma and grandpa started dating, that this was their go to place, that happened often.
“You wouldn’t believe how many employees we put through this place, I still run into them on the street and they say they loved working here.”
He said customers travelling from Vancouver to Calgary stop in to pick up pies to take with them, and there are lots of return customers from all over BC and beyond.
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James Freund, our waiter, stopped at the booth to refill coffees. He has been working at the diner for three years and likes the food and the atmosphere.
“I enjoy working here, it keeps me busy and the people here are nice, although we get the odd person coming in here that gives me a hard time,” he said looking at Mattis with a smirk.
Harold's Family Restaurant is open seven days per week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an option for takeout for people travelling through.
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