In retirement Bouchard remained as active as he was during his NHL career. He received coaching offers soon after his retirement, but his business interests prevented him from leaving Montreal. Bouchard owned a popular restaurant Chez Émile Bouchard which operated for many years in Montreal. On 22 March 1953, while Bouchard was travelling to Detroit for the last game of the season, the restaurant was gutted by a fire started in a basement at 3:22am soon after employees and patrons had left. He was also president of the Montreal Royals Triple-A baseball club, elected to the Longueuil municipal council, on the board of directors of Ste. Jeanne-d'Arc Hospital, president of the Metropolitan Junior "A" Hockey League among other activities.