Advertisement

Holt Renfrew customers use Twitter to protest firing of ‘iconic’ doorman

Tom Hargatai has been opening doors for customers for more than two decades, but it's the customers who are now hoping to keep a door open for him.

Loyal customers of Toronto's Holt Renfrew have taken to Twitter, voicing their displeasure with the store's decision to fire the beloved doorman.

"He's an icon," said blogger Cynthia Cheng Mintz in a Toronto Star story. "I've been browsing at Holt's for nearly half my life. Tom is the store."

Trending topics within Toronto Twitter circles included #mayorofbloorst, #tomhargitai and @holtrenfrew.

Known as the "unofficial Mayor of Bloor Street," Tom has been a loyal employee at Holt for 21 years. Many thankful Holt shoppers are hoping their modern form of protest will keep the "Mayor" in office.

"Perhaps social media can change their minds," said Cheng in the story. "I think Holt's is already trying to be too trendy. This is the kind of rebranding I've already seen inside the store."

Contributing to the "rebranding" Cheng speaks of is the deployment of "roaming concierges," young women decked in pillbox hats and grey uniforms tasked with offering mobile assistance.

"The pillbox hats must go, and Tom must return," said Vineca Gray in the story. "He is much more than a pretty face. Ask the physically challenged customers, the downtown locals, the tourists."

Claire Kerr considers herself a "special occasion" Holt shopper, and she has no problem taking her birthday shopping elsewhere.

"Am I going back? Absolutely not," said Kerr in the story. "If that's how they treat their loyal customers, I can choose to take my business where I like. Tom was part of the culture of this city."

According to Holt spokeswoman Emily Hanft, the 11-store luxury chain had no further comments on the matter.