Metro Vancouver Restaurant News thread

[jollyburger]

Chupito Cocteleria is closing end of October with the impending demo of their building. La Taqueria closes sometime before the end of the year.

Excavation permit is in review

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=234915372

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

Firehouse Subs opened their first Vancouver location (UBC) quietly a few months back >> https://www.yelp.ca/biz/firehouse-subs-vancouver-5

and

Popeye's Chicken opened near UBC at Lelem Village >> https://campusnutrition.ca/blog/news...-lelem-village

there is a Firehouse Subs in Delta on Scott Road and 88th. Been wanting to check it out but its so far from Whalley.

[SpongeG]

Vancouver brunch and martini bar shuts down after three months
"As of today, our doors are closed"

Brendan Kergin
a day ago

With the end of summer comes the end of Lucille's West Side.

The short-lived restaurant offered brunch, dinner, and cocktails to customers starting in June.

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, Lucille's closure was announced via a brief post on the restaurant's Instagram (which has been scrubbed of all but that one post).

"South Granville, that was a summer to remember! As of today, our doors are closed. Cheers!" reads the entire post.

Lucille's had opened up at 1509 W 12th Ave., replacing Heirloom, the long-time vegetarian restaurant with polarizing ownership (which briefly moved away from vegetarian meals at the end). The venture was from the same ownership team as Heirloom and emerged as Lucille's after a brief closure for some cosmetic changes.

...

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/f...months-9473571

[RedArbutus]

Lol I love how breezy that closer is. Just popping in and out for the summer. As one does!

[RedArbutus]

Strathacona Brewing's "Strathcona North" location is finally set to soft open on Monday in the old Greenleaf Brewing space at Lonsdale Quay.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-busines...cation-9552204

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by RedArbutus

Strathacona Brewing's "Strathcona North" location is finally set to soft open on Monday in the old Greenleaf Brewing space at Lonsdale Quay.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-busines...cation-9552204

There were people drinking on the patio yesterday.

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

There were people drinking on the patio yesterday.

I saw that, about three or four hours after I posted I happened to have a few minutes waiting for a bus at Lonsdale Quay and I went to check it out only to find that it was packed! I guess that was the soft-soft opening

[jollyburger]

Update on that Concord Pacific Club Kitchen concept down near BC Place (just advertisement editorial so don't expect anything interesting)

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...hen-vancouver/

Just noticed Hello Nori says they are opening at Oakridge Park as well

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...ans-interview/

[jollyburger]

I wonder if this means Lee's is bailing on that location at Innova?

Lee's Donuts confirms North Vancouver location in Lower Lonsdale

100-124 West First Street

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/le...nsdale-9610963

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Update on that Concord Pacific Club Kitchen concept down near BC Place (just advertisement editorial so don't expect anything interesting)

https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...hen-vancouver/

Not much seating for customers.
I expected a bit more, even though it's mostly meant for take-out/delivery prep.


https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...hen-vancouver/


https://retail-insider.com/retail-in...hen-vancouver/

[whatnext]

Bad times to be trying to sell a restaurant apparently. Though owning The Raven would be pretty cool.

Many restaurants now selling for half their pre-pandemic value
B.C. restaurants face a buyer’s market as owners eye an exit
Brigitte Petersen, Western Investor
41 minutes ago

BC’s restaurant sector continues to grapple with post-pandemic challenges, but opportunities abound for buyers.

Chris van Vliet, William Wright Commercial’s Langley office team leader, said the last time he checked there were 124 restaurants for sale in Vancouver and hundreds available in B.C. According to Spacelist.ca, about 500 commercial spaces, including restaurants, were listed in mid-September.

The Raven, a pub in Deep Cove owned by IRL Group, was recently listed for $488,000.

“It’s the only pub in the Deep Cove community,” said van Vliet. “It’s very well-established.”

Opened in 1979, the fully renovated 6,081-square-foot establishment nets about $200,000 in annual profits....

....“Where we used to be able to sell a restaurant for a certain price, now what the sellers are competing with are restaurants that are just simply for lease,” said van Vliet.

This has created a buyer’s market for restaurants, van Vliet said, with many in prime locations available at favourable prices, largely due to bankruptcies. In February, Restaurants Canada reported 62 per cent of restaurants were operating at a loss or barely breaking even, compared with 10 per cent pre-pandemic. Last year saw a notable upsurge in closures, with bankruptcies up 44 per cent....

https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate...-value-9613847

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I wonder if this means Lee's is bailing on that location at Innova?

Lee's Donuts confirms North Vancouver location in Lower Lonsdale

100-124 West First Street

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/le...nsdale-9610963

I had this exact thought. Even for the new owners' way-too-fast expansion, having one a ten minute walk away has got to be too close to work.

Innova CRUs are being sold rather than leased however. That would be an interesting contract to break. I expect that Cascadia Green will just quietly scrub any listings of mentions of Lee's at some point. At least Delaney's appears to be locked in?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by RedArbutus

I had this exact thought. Even for the new owners' way-too-fast expansion, having one a ten minute walk away has got to be too close to work.

Innova CRUs are being sold rather than leased however. That would be an interesting contract to break. I expect that Cascadia Green will just quietly scrub any listings of mentions of Lee's at some point. At least Delaney's appears to be locked in?

I think they're probably naive enough to open both.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Bad times to be trying to sell a restaurant apparently. Though owning The Raven would be pretty cool.

https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate...-value-9613847

Seems kind of like a weird restaurant to feature since it has so much baggage not related to COVID. IRL Group came in 2022 to take over after the previous tenants didn't renew their lease.

https://www.irlgroup.ca/hospitality

Darwin Properties bought it around 2016-2018 and originally wanted to redevelop the site but couldn't get permission from DNV. IRL also dumped 1 million plus into renovating the pub.

https://www.nsnews.com/deep-cove-cri...owners-3037076

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I think they're probably naive enough to open both.

Quite possibly....

[officedweller]

JJ Bean CBC Plaza to close after 10+ years
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/jj-bean-cbc-plaza

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

JJ Bean CBC Plaza to close after 10+ years
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/jj-bean-cbc-plaza

Not surprising foot traffic is still bad on that end of downtown. I just noticed Dunsmuir was on sale too and probably for the same reason. But they are opening a donut concept location on West Hastings.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Not surprising foot traffic is still bad on that end of downtown. I just noticed Dunsmuir was on sale too and probably for the same reason. But they are opening a donut concept location on West Hastings.

Wouldn't The Post be helping out in that regard? And the new VAG "coming soon"?

Fair if JJ can't wait that long, but somebody else will come in and benefit IMO.

I'd add the downtown VPL is a great building, but the Hamilton side is a total dud, and didn't have to be.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Wouldn't The Post be helping out in that regard? And the new VAG "coming soon"?

Fair if JJ can't wait that long, but somebody else will come in and benefit IMO.

I assumed The Post helped kill JJ. The coffee and food are good, but it's outside, rather than under cover, and it really only services the CBC. There's a good alternative on Georgia under the library and an Artigiano on the corner of Beatty and Georgia, and now there's Deville and Starbucks in the Post, so it's far from a coffee desert. Maybe if the building was more like the Richards park Kafka's, with some inside seats and big doors for the summer it would work better.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I assumed The Post helped kill JJ. The coffee and food are good, but it's outside, rather than under cover, and it really only services the CBC. There's a good alternative on Georgia under the library and an Artigiano on the corner of Beatty and Georgia, and now there's Deville and Starbucks in the Post, so it's far from a coffee desert. Maybe if the building was more like the Richards park Kafka's, with some inside seats and big doors for the summer it would work better.

It probably only worked if they had a sweetheart lease agreement as well. Still dreaming about them demolishing the CBC studios and building something on that corner.

It'll be interesting how Popeye's does there. I think CBC should offer them better signage on the corner if they want them to succeed. From the West Georgia side all you see is a tiny little blade sign.