Another Vancouver restaurant brought the year and their run to a close at the end of 2019, as Chinatown's Juniper seems to have quietly wrapped up four years of serving pacific northwest fare and gin-focused cocktails on Keefer Street.
Juniper debuted in late 2015, with an aim to showcase the ingredients of the Cascadia region, as well as offer a variety of takes on the gin and tonic, along with other handcrafted cocktails, at their impressive bar. Dishes on their menu recently included vegan and charcuterie appetizer boards, steamed mussels, housemade pasta and gnocchi, and plates made with proteins like duck, bison, and sturgeon, under the direction of Chef Warren Chow.
The restaurant has no current indication on their social media channels or website that they are permanently closed, however their staff have been posting farewell messages during Juniper's final days.
"Today I tie up this apron for my last service at @junipervancouver," wrote Chow on his Instagram on Dec. 31. "I cannot even begin to express the gratitude I have for my entire team, my family, and the best friends I could've ever asked for for their unconditional support through this wild ride. So thankful for the opportunity given to me to prove myself as a young chef in a city I call home. I am so excited to see where the next chapter of my career takes me. Onto bigger things for 2020! Happy New Year everyone! Much love!"
Similarly, Juniper's head barman, Gareth Jones, shared his sentiments as he prepped to do a special evening behind the stick with Juniper's former bartender, Vancouver's Max Borroman, on Dec. 29: " A lot of mixed emotions but I’m so proud of my team for all that we have achieved! In all my years in the industry I have never worked anywhere with a more dedicated staff which is demonstrated by the combined employment of over 15 years! So I urge you to come on by tonight to sample our delicious feature cocktails, as well as @warren.chow’s utterly mouth watering food and also share a big hug! This door is closing but I’m so excited to see what doors will open for all of us in 2020! See you later."
"Today, I posted on @junipervancouver’s account that we are permanently closing," wrote Juniper's Jessica Godfrey on Dec. 20, adding: "It was the most difficult post I’ve ever had to write."
A quick peek at Juniper's Instagram post for that same day, Dec. 20, simply reads that the restaurant will be closed for a few days over the holidays: "we will be closed December 24th, 25th & 26th, and January 1st & 2nd." However, over on OpenTable, which Juniper uses for online reservations, the restaurant has "no availability" for tables from Jan. 3 and on into the month.
We've reached out to Juniper online to see if they are able to confirm the closure and offer any further details. We'll update if information becomes available.
