Exactly 40 years after Peter and Nancy Gilchrist bought the Ebb Tide restaurant — 7 p.m. on Dec. 4 — the doors will close for the season, and the couple will retire.

The restaurant has been a local landmark since 1967, when it opened for the first time by then owners Armand and Laura Barbeau. It has been a great ride for the Gilchrists, but they say it’s time for a change. They are both approaching 70, and they still work almost every day.

The Gilchrists said they had had no restaurant experience before buying the Ebb Tide in 1974.

They had been living in the San Fransisco Bay area, and Peter Gilchrist was working for a government-owned company in a high power, high stress job. He was in his late twenties, and was seeing co-workers getting sick and dying too young.

“I was working well over 100 hours a week,” Gilchrist said. “Nancy remembers many times I’d be at work for 20 hours, come home, she’d slap a sandwich on a plate, and I wouldn’t be able to finish it before the phone rang, and I’d be gone again for another 20 hours. This went on day after day, seven days a week.”

The Gilchrists knew they needed a change.

They decided they wanted to do two things: work for themselves, and move far away from California.

“We got out a map of the U.S. and said ‘What state is furthest from here?’” There was Florida, and there was Maine. They chose Maine.

They came to Boothbay Harbor and looked at a couple places.

“We were looking for a business,” the Gilchrists said. “This restaurant was what we liked, and could afford.”

They said their lives changed drastically after they took over the Ebb Tide.

Even with the pressures that come with running a restaurant, Peter Gilchrist said there was no comparison to the stress of his former job.

“It was so much easier than what I had been doing.”

Nancy Gilchrist said she used to do all the baking for the restaurant.

“I had to have all the baking done by 11 because I was doing it where the fry-o-lator is.” She was making yeast rolls and biscuits every morning.

Pat Burger of Boston was having lunch Nov. 21 with her friend and former Colby College roommate, Nancy Adams, of East Boothbay. The two said they have been coming to the Ebb Tide for years.

“When I think of the Ebb Tide, I think of their chowder and pies,” Adams said. “It’s so sad that they’re leaving.”

Charlie Thomas of Idaho was having lunch with Karen Schneider of Brunswick. Schneider said she makes a practice of coming to the Ebb Tide regularly.

“It’s my favorite place in Boothbay Harbor,” Schneider said. “The first time my grandkids had scallops was here.”

The restaurant is open seven days a week. In the beginning it was 6:30 a.m. till nine at night.

Luckily they started hiring help. They said if they didn’t have the crew they’ve had, it would have been much more difficult.

“Thanks to the crew. They’ve been here a long time. They’ve seen a lot of problems and know how to deal with them,” Peter Gilchrist said.

Nancy Gilchrist agreed.

“Our crew is so experienced, and know the restaurant so well, that we feel confident with them. They’re probably the reason we’ve had the place for so long.”

The Gilchrists have made lists of all the people who have worked there over the 40 years, and an “Honor Roll of Angels” for the people who “went far more than the extra mile to  make us feel welcome and to make Ebb Tide a success.”

Long-time employee Cheryl Rice is on that list.

“In the off season we’ve had Cheryl to manage our restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays, which allowed us to take our kids hiking,” Nancy Gilchrist said.

Rice has been working in the restaurant since 1976. She said she has played bartender, cooked and waited tables.

“I’m very sad,” Rice said. “I’ve seen at least three generations come through here.”

Trish McGlaflin has worked at the Ebb Tide since 1995, and her sister, Rose Marie Hodgdon, has been there for 35 years.

“I cried,” she said, when she heard the Gilchrists were leaving.

The Gilchrists say they’re optimistic that this isn’t the end for the Ebb Tide.

“It’s been successful for everyone involved. There will probably still be an Ebb Tide. We’re looking to lease or sell the business, but everything is up in the air right now,” Peter Gilchrist said.

“I did some research and discovered that in the 40 years we have run the restaurant, it has been open for 190,000 hours and has had 1,800 tons of products delivered,” he said.

Among other interesting facts, Ebb Tide has: served over 5.5 million meals; issued over 70,000 signed checks; served 65,000 pounds of fresh peaches; served 200,000 pounds of haddock; and served 2,400,000 fresh eggs.

Beginning Dec. 1, the Gilchrists will host four final days of festivities.

“Dinner for 501!” will be on Monday, Tuesday and and Wednesday, Dec. 1-3; 501 people have worked at Ebb Tide (or the Gilchrists’ other business — Gilchrist East). Every one of them is invited to have one last employee-discounted meal. The “Honor Roll of Employees” is posted at the Ebb Tide.

On those same three days the Gilchrists will resurrect their daily specials from over 30 years ago at their original prices for a “Farewell Tour of Specials!” Stop by the restaurant to see what they are and the prices. You won’t want to miss this one.

Customer thank-you day will be Dec. 4., including half price deals on everything except pastries and juice from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Dining room service only.)

“The Grand Finale” will be Dec. 4. All breakfasts will be $1; all sandwiches $2; all dinners $3. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., while food lasts. (Dining room service only.)

Asked if they had any plans for Dec. 5, the Gilchrists said yes.

“We’re going to be here cleaning.”