The Post | 67m | 27 fl | Completed

[theKB]

Originally Posted by Changing City

The first of the atrium food tenants (other than Starbucks) has their sign up. Lee's Donuts, supposedly opening April 1st.

Lees was peddling franchises, wondering if this will be a franchise or owned by them.

Walked past their Gastown store and it wasn't anywhere near as busy as the original. I'm curious if they can sustain enough business selling doughnuts outside of their original location. They don't offer coffee products (a la 49th parallel which has three locations around Vancouver, none of which are close to each other).

I guess the Food Hall is still stuck in bankruptcy proceedings? Wondering if they have approached other operators, can think of a few outside of Vancouver that could take up the mantle if it made financial sense.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by theKB

Lees was peddling franchises, wondering if this will be a franchise or owned by them.

Walked past their Gastown store and it wasn't anywhere near as busy as the original. I'm curious if they can sustain enough business selling doughnuts outside of their original location. They don't offer coffee products (a la 49th parallel which has three locations around Vancouver, none of which are close to each other).

I guess the Food Hall is still stuck in bankruptcy proceedings? Wondering if they have approached other operators, can think of a few outside of Vancouver that could take up the mantle if it made financial sense.

They started selling coffee at some locations I think including Gastown. I mean franchising or opening locations outside of Granville Island is the only way they'll grow the company. I guess we'll see how good they are at franchising/growing the brand.. from their background I wouldn't be surprised if it failed. Cartems did a good job of imploding whatever momentum they had selling donuts in Vancouver.

[giallo]

I've never understood the hype behind Lee's. The donuts are ok, but far from outstanding. If I was to choose a donut shop that deserve praise, it'd be Mello in Chinatown. I make an effort to grab one if I'm in the area.

[theKB]

Originally Posted by giallo

I've never understood the hype behind Lee's. The donuts are ok, but far from outstanding. If I was to choose a donut shop that deserve praise, it'd be Mello in Chinatown. I make an effort to grab one if I'm in the area.

I do think some of these brands that get hype from being featured somewhere tend to have continued success BECAUSE of the lineups and then when they expand, it fizzles out.

The big piece that generated interest in this development (aside from the chosen operator) was the food hall... which seems to be DOA or at the very least years off.

[WarrenC12]

Lee's are fresh and relatively cheap. They aren't trying to go overboard on silly flavours or gimmicks.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Lee's are fresh and relatively cheap. They aren't trying to go overboard on silly flavours or gimmicks.

That's true. They use a tried and true formula, and it obviously works. I guess I was expecting something more. I should go back with my expectations in check.

I find Phenom Penh to fall into this category as well. The hype around the restaurant is insane. I went, and ate the "trifecta", and was like "Not bad. About as good as similar places in Vancouver. Why did it take 90 minutes to get a seat at 11am?"

Lunch Lady is the one really hyped restaurant that I feel delivered. Love that place.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by theKB

I do think some of these brands that get hype from being featured somewhere tend to have continued success BECAUSE of the lineups and then when they expand, it fizzles out.

The big piece that generated interest in this development (aside from the chosen operator) was the food hall... which seems to be DOA or at the very least years off.

Which brings to mind the Greek restaurant Stepho's on Davie. It used to be hot hot hot. Then they decided to be greedy and opened a branch on Robson Street: a street with the most expensive rents in town, likely couldn't keep up with the expenses and then hiked up the menu price (Lamb plate used to cost $9 or so, and after the fiasco, jumped up to more than $20), pissed off regular customers like myself, and now there are no longer lineups, and they have since closed their Robson branch as well.

Lesson to be learnt here: better for Lee's to just keep one shop on Granville Island, and perhaps one or two other small ones around town: that's it. Opening at the Post lobby makes sense because Lee's (doughnuts) would go well with Starbucks (coffee).

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by giallo

... I find Phenom Penh to fall into this category as well. The hype around the restaurant is insane. I went, and ate the "trifecta", and was like "Not bad. About as good as similar places in Vancouver. Why did it take 90 minutes to get a seat at 11am?"...

Probably the chicken wings - nobody else in the metro gets the recipe right.

[theKB]

According to Dished, the lee’s location at the post is only a pop up.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by giallo

I've never understood the hype behind Lee's. The donuts are ok, but far from outstanding. If I was to choose a donut shop that deserve praise, it'd be Mello in Chinatown. I make an effort to grab one if I'm in the area.

I tried them at granville island once and I didn't like it much, the donuts are very heavy and cake like. Gave em another try in Langley and felt the same way.

They are opening in Brentwood too, they have a pop-up in Surrey right now as well.

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I tried them at granville island once and I didn't like it much, the donuts are very heavy and cake like. Gave em another try in Langley and felt the same way.

They are opening in Brentwood too, they have a pop-up in Surrey right now as well.

They are opening a new permanent location (Q1 2025 in theory, but almost guaranteed to at least be Q3) a block from where I live in North Vancouver, and I am determined to keep them solely in the black through my business alone.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by Changing City

It's a shame that The Post didn't install a battery backup system, rather than a diesel generator. The battery option is starting to get used now, with Google replacing the generator in a Belgian data centre in 2020, and now expanding to other locations. Where the generator (and the diesel tank) end up on an upper floor, the advantages would seem to be even greater.

Nobody in their right mind would try to try to configure battery back up power for a structure of that size and use since the costs of doing so would likely be several times what a generator costs and would not be as reliable. Perhaps this might become an option in the future but its way too early in the game to use it in an application like The Post

[whatnext]

These are from a week or two ago. Does anyone know if the counter set-up is for Lees or....

[IMG]IMG_8515 by bcborn, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_8516 by bcborn, on Flickr[/IMG]


The City Market is quite nice with a big seating area.

[IMG]IMG_8519 by bcborn, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_8517 by bcborn, on Flickr[/IMG]
my photos

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I agree, in as much that to become a "Post-like development" you'd need to own and secure a whole city block including the lane. That's a hard feat to do - especially in the West End where existing rentals exist. It becomes such a beast. The City is usually not cool with selling alleys or a portion. it becomes too much of a lengthy and expensive process to endure.

You see this with the Point Grey Safeway redevelopment. big grocery stores are so hard to build around due to the space they demand, loading, parking, access, etc. You need a whole city block to do it right, based on how these chains want to design their stores.

Exactly. Developing a parcel of land like that in Vancouver today is next to impossible. All the reels of city red tape ensures that only a firm willing to ignore much easier options elsewhere could ever pull it off. Can't see it happening.

Very bizarre that we have some pretty decent examples of strong retail podiums integrated into residential developments, yet in our downtown we struggle with them. Building something the scale of the Post is even harder so have little faith that anyone could pull it off.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

These are from a week or two ago. Does anyone know if the counter set-up is for Lees or....

Daily Hive had a picture. They have the most northern island. Looks like Oakberry will be in the other, and as it's apparently for two tenants (with two sinks), maybe Deville too?

[jollyburger]

This one is Oakberry:

Primary Location: 658 HOMER STREET, Vancouver, BC V6B 0S5


Specific Location:


Work Description: Interior alterations to provide first TI to this existing retail space for a retail limited food tenant on the retail concourse on level 2 at the existing commercial building on this site.

new electrical, plumbing & millwork

Note to applicant: The services of a structural engineer may be required, based upon site inspection by the District Building Inspector.


Type of Work: Addition / Alteration

From the address the coffee shop will face Dunsmuir closer to the Homer intersection. But the permit says it's on the retail concourse but maybe it's not referring to the exact same retail.

Primary Location: 366 DUNSMUIR STREET, Vancouver, BC V6B 1N3


Specific Location: Level 2 (grade level), 366 Dunsmuir Street


Work Description: Tenant improvement for coffee shop (the TI CP was also the base building CP) within the retail concourse level (366 Dunsmuir St)


Type of Work: Addition / Alteration

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=223163954

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

Exactly. Developing a parcel of land like that in Vancouver today is next to impossible. All the reels of city red tape ensures that only a firm willing to ignore much easier options elsewhere could ever pull it off. Can't see it happening.

i have always wondered about the legality of the province/feds buying up land and forcing the creation of these blocks by the city, then selling them to a developer as a whole property. probably major risks to corruption, bribery, etc. such as the expo lands, but would be interesting to see if it could be pulled off.

[theKB]

Walked into the post on Friday afternoon from the dunsmuir end.

Lees seemed to have lots of product left at around 4pm, the oakberry signage wasn't there if memory serves. Beside those two stands there is a similar stand that has a bar setup wrapped around the outside of the kiosk (back faces kiosk area looking out). I got mildly excited that it looked as though it could be a cocktail bar setup which would be a great addition to that concourse especially with how closed off the kiosk is made. I would assume this would be the forthcoming deville?

Is the retail concourse where the food hall was supposed to be or is that going to be facing georgia?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by theKB

Walked into the post on Friday afternoon from the dunsmuir end.

Lees seemed to have lots of product left at around 4pm, the oakberry signage wasn't there if memory serves. Beside those two stands there is a similar stand that has a bar setup wrapped around the outside of the kiosk (back faces kiosk area looking out). I got mildly excited that it looked as though it could be a cocktail bar setup which would be a great addition to that concourse especially with how closed off the kiosk is made. I would assume this would be the forthcoming deville?

Is the retail concourse where the food hall was supposed to be or is that going to be facing georgia?

I'm curious how the City Market is doing.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I'm curious how the City Market is doing.

It seemed busy when I was there a couple Sundays ago. I know a couple people from Gastown who shop there now instead of Nesters.