After 63 years, it's last call at Palatine's The Office Pub

Beverly Langer knew she wanted to quit her job as an insurance broker and buy The Office Pub the moment she walked through the door 28 years ago.

The little white house on downtown Palatine's Slade Street reminded her of the bar she used to visit as a little girl in southern Illinois with her coal-mining grandfather. She'd order a soda while he sipped on some suds.

Langer has built up nearly three decades worth of new memories at The Office, which made the decision to close for good all the more difficult.

"I'm just very sad," said Langer, trying to hold back tears. "It's always been a place for really nice people who work hard and care about each other. I'm going to miss that."

Village officials approached her six years ago about taking over The Office, which dates back to 1946, through eminent domain to further downtown development. So she didn't put any money into its upkeep and instead bought the Kelsey Road House in Lake Barrington.

Langer wasn't aware the plan had been scrapped until neighboring Harris Bank offered to buy the property to build new drive-through lanes and retail space. Between Kelsey, the slumping economy and the work needed at The Office, she couldn't pass up the proposal. The bar's final day was Sunday.

Langer, who hopes to buy a Gino's East in Lake County, knows most of her regulars won't make the trip to Lake Barrington. But they'll feel at home if they do. She's recreating The Office - long, wooden bar included - in Kelsey's pool room.

In recent days, nostalgic customers have been packing the tiny 900-square-foot room, including 86-year-old Frank Sprenzel and his wife, Lucy. Frank frequented The Office nearly every day for the last 30 years.

"It's just a nice old-fashioned place," he said. "There aren't too many of them left."

And everyone in the place knew Geoff "Weasel" Reedy, The Office's version of Norm from "Cheers." He rode his bicycle from his Palatine home to the bar for 40 years.

"It's the end of an era," Reedy said. "The camaraderie here is rare."

Patrons will also miss the back-and-forth with bartender Anita Sharpe, the mother hen type who said she kept "all the children in line." Every Friday, she provided a spread of homemade goodies on her own dime. Her final offering was smoked pork tenderloin and pasta salad.

"It's a shame we're closing," said Sharpe, of Palatine. "We were getting a whole new group of younger people coming in to carry on the tradition."