Gram Cafe, a Japanese souffle pancake chain, entered the Metro Vancouver market with plans for four locations in the area, all of which slowly opened their doors between 2020 and 2022. However, now those restaurants are permanently closed.
Back in 2019, the Osaka-based Gram chain had four planned locations in the works for Metro Vancouver, though one of them (Robson Street) didn't end up happening. Instead, Gram launched in Richmond at Aberdeen Centre in February 2020, ultimately adding outposts at 2218 Kingsway in Vancouver and at the Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby in 2022, and at 2145 W 41st in Kerrisdale at the start of 2023.
However, the two mall locations no longer list Gram on their directories; Gram's former unit at Aberdeen is already earmarked for a new arrival, a restaurant called Garaku.
Information about the Kingsway Gram location was initially harder to come by; Google indicates the restaurant is "temporarily closed" and a call to the remaining location in Kerrisdale yielded the same response from an employee who could not say when - or if - a reopening was anticipated. Gram's social media last promoted the Kingsway location by address in late August. By mid-December, Yelp reported the Kingsway shop was closed.
The Kerrisdale location of Gram has also since closed. Big Way Hot Pot is set to open in the location in January 2024.
V.I.A. has emailed Gram to find out more about the closures but has not received a response.
Gram is best known for its thick, fluffy, eggy Japanese "souffle" pancakes. The restaurant's extensive menu included other pancake formats, like stuffed "Premium Smile" pancakes, classic pancakes, pancakes loaded with sweet or savoury toppings or stuffed with fillings, as well as bubble tea drinks, soufflé pancake ice cream sandwiches, French toast, soups, and coffee beverages. In Kerrisdale, Gram served items like Butter Chicken on rice and pressed sandwiches as well.
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