Metro Vancouver Restaurant News thread

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Are they going inside the Canada Line stations like so many failures before them?

Actually it might just be near the stations. The Burquitlam Station location is one block from the station. Gilmore seems to be some unit inside Gilmore Place and not the station.

https://treescoffee.com/locations/

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Are they going inside the Canada Line stations like so many failures before them?

The Fresh Slice locations always seem to have customers. They are the first brand I’ve seen with some visible success in those units.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

The Fresh Slice locations always seem to have customers. They are the first brand I’ve seen with some visible success in those units.

That's true I have actually seen people in them. It might get even better at Broadway/Cambie when the new line is open. I think they might be charging a premium for slices too, although it's hard to say as I don't eat there much.

[SpongeG]

Freshii in Lougheed Mall has closed down a few weeks now, I've never been inside or to one, so have no idea what they sell, I assumed it was smoothies?

Chipotle is coming along fast, looks like it could open in a few weeks.

[zahav]

The old West location on Granville is turning into a Yemeni restaurant. Very curious to try it, I don't think we've had a specifically Yemeni restaurant here before? South Granville is probably a good spot for it too, lots of unique one-off places there as opposed to chains.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by zahav

The old West location on Granville is turning into a Yemeni restaurant. Very curious to try it, I don't think we've had a specifically Yemeni restaurant here before? South Granville is probably a good spot for it too, lots of unique one-off places there as opposed to chains.

It's Saba on Main Street that is moving. I think they'll be in for culture shock with the change of neighbourhoods.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

It's Saba on Main Street that is moving. I think they'll be in for culture shock with the change of neighbourhoods.

Yes & No given the rate that vape shops are opening in that 'hood.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Conrad Yablonski

Yes & No given the rate that vape shops are opening in that 'hood.

How sad is it that vape stores and dispensaries seem to be the fastest growing kind of retail in Vancouver?

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Langley is getting an Earl Of Sandwich, a US chain, it will be in Willowbrook.


earlofsandwichusa.com

Canada has 5 locations, 1 in BC, Kelowna, 3 in Alberta and 1 in Manitoba. USA has 33 locations, Philippines has 5, South Korea has 7 and France has 1.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/earl-of-sandwich-langley

Went here on the weekend.. busy spot, great sandwich. Just need one closer to Vancouver now.

Ron.

[whatnext]

It will be interesting to see how many restaurant closing we see after the holiday season. Tough time to be in that business:

'I've never seen it like this': B.C. restaurants closing amid economic hardship
Published Dec. 17, 2023 7:11 p.m. PST

After 13 years on Commercial Drive, Cannibal Café is shutting its doors.

“It’s very sad,” said long-time customer David Bircham. “It’s part of the fabric of our city.”

The owner, Matt Thompson, says the restaurant never fully recovered from the impacts of the pandemic.

“Insurance costs more money, rent went up three grand, property tax, hydro. There’s no money in it anymore,” said Thompson, who also said personal health issues contributed to his decision.

In the same week, Rodney’s Oyster House announced its Gastown location is set to close before the new year, and Tacomio, another Vancouver favourite for some, officially announced it’s also closing its doors for good.

“The severe impacts of COVID-19, escalating costs, rent hikes, government taxes and labour shortages have created an environment where continuing our journey has become untenable,” reads a post on Tacomio’s Instagram page.

That restaurant’s owner told CTV News that high costs resulted in him having to raise prices, which deterred customers.

“I’ve never seen it like this,” said Ian Tostenson, BC Food and Restaurant Association president. “Fifty percent of the restaurants in B.C. are either losing money or breaking even.”

Tostenson says amidst inflation and the high cost of living, customers have changed their habits and aren’t spending as much on dining out.

Adding to the stress for restaurant owners, the federal CEBA loan payments are due in January......

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/i-ve-never-seen-it...closing-amid-economic-hardship-1.6691536

[WarrenC12]

I do think there are simply too many restaurants in Vancouver. We could probably lose about 20% of them easily. One can only hope the best ones survive.

[dreambrother808]

With inflation people just don’t have as much disposable income. There’s also a frustration around feeling cheated whenever one goes out somewhere, having to pay so much for something, that it doesn’t feel worth it anymore. I still go to restaurants but not as much.

It ties in with this sense that the middle class is being strangled and there’s nothing we can do about it. Restaurants aren’t to blame though. Canadian grocery stores and their profit margins are the bigger culprits. Unfortunately, groceries are an unavoidable necessity. We need to bring our chains in line with American and European ones, which typically have half the profit margin.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

It ties in with this sense that the middle class is being strangled and there’s nothing we can do about it. Restaurants aren’t to blame though. Canadian grocery stores and their profit margins are the bigger culprits. Unfortunately, groceries are an unavoidable necessity. We need to bring our chains in line with American and European ones, which typically have half the profit margin.

Profit margins for these major grocery chains are razor thin. This is all publicly available information. I don't know why they are the focus of all of the rage.

Galen Weston certainly has a punchable face, I'll give you that.

[giallo]

Going out to eat is just crazy expensive these days.

We went to one of the better Thai restaurants in Fairview recently, and it was $52 for two dishes before tip. The same meal would be maybe $10 in Thailand. We like the food there, but the prices have become unreasonable, so we won't be going back

There's a Turkish breakfast spot in Mount Pleasant that I like. I went by last week to see the bagel and egg breakfast dish is now $19. It's literally a thin bagel, one egg and a little lettuce on the side. In a sane world, it'd be $7.

I love eating out, but the value proposition is so out of whack these days, that I just can't justify it much anymore.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Profit margins for these major grocery chains are razor thin. This is all publicly available information. I don't know why they are the focus of all of the rage.

Galen Weston certainly has a punchable face, I'll give you that.

I always thought he had kind of an everyman face, which is why he was in the ads. Of course, the Westons have made a convenient punching back/poster boy for the Libs in their laughable grocery hearings. Easy to try and divert anger to the billionaire in the room. Justin and Co. don't seem to get how many Canadians hold Loblaws or Sobeys stock in their retirement funds. Funny that.

[SpongeG]

We don't hear much about how so many different brands and companies are being bought off or changed, I think Bimbo from Mexico now owns all the major bakeries in Canada thus giving them the ability to push up prices without much competition, and other companies have been swallowed up or pushed out or pulled out of Canada, such as Bugles, Heinz shut down their ketchup factory in Canada and it now comes from the states if not China, China produces a lot of food for US brands now.

Does anyone know if it's true that the minimum wage in BC will go up to $19 in 2024? my boss told my coworker they were preparing for a huge hike in the min wage. The restaurant industry was already trying hard to keep up, this could really push prices up.

[officedweller]

Loblaws CityMarket at The Post:

The “Canteen” area near the entrance will feature a 20-foot carvery with prime rib, roast chicken, salmon, and dozens of cooked vegetable and salad offerings, with seasonal changes. It will be offering a prime rib meal with two sets of vegetables for $15.

Sherwood is super serious about providing quality cheap food options, notably the menu item of a homemade chicken burger with fries for just $7.

Customers can also expect fried chicken, entire bar areas serving freshly made paninis and pizzas, and 14 pots of soups and curries, with the curry made by Paul Gill of Sutra Foods. Just across from the pizza bar will be the bakery, where you’ll find freshly baked gourmet buns and whole loaves of bread, which can be bought whole or sliced, as well as baked sweets.

A large seating area for in-store dining will be placed next to the Canteen — along the glass wall overlooking The Post’s city block-long retail atrium along the Homer Street side of the building.

...

Sherwood says all Loblaws City Market customers will have access to free parking with purchase. An entire parking level is dedicated to the needs of customers shopping at the grocery store, with access to the parkade located on the Hamilton Street side of the building.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/loblaws-city-market-grocery-store-the-post-vancouver-opening-date

[jollyburger]

At the new Post Vancouver:

"Sherwood is super serious about providing quality cheap food options, notably the menu item of a homemade chicken burger with fries for just $7."

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/loblaws-city-market-grocery-store-the-post-vancouver-opening-date

[MIPS]

Prime Time Chicken has always been my go-to for fried chicken because a $2.50 a drumstick it's hard to beat.

Have not really found a replace for easy & sleazy chinese food ever since Buddha's at Commercial-Broadway closed.

[hollywoodnorth]

2nd Downtown Popeyes has opened! >>

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/popeyes-chicken-granville-street-vancouver