The first Milestones restaurant opened in 1989 in Vancouver's West End. As of November 2020, there are now no more locations of the Canadian chain within the City of Vancouver anymore.
Parent company Recipe Unlimited has shuttered the Milestones location at 2425 Cambie St, ushering in the end of an era for the Vancouver-born chain.
Situated on prime real estate facing English Bay, the Milestones at 1210 Denman St closed permanently in 2016 (it is now Hook Seabar). The Yaletown Milestones is also gone (1109 Hamilton St is now the upscale Elisa steakhouse). All that remains in B.C. are Milestones outposts in suburban communities, including West Vancouver, Tsawwassen, Langley, Surrey, and Coquitlam. Further afield are locations in Abbotsford, Whistler, Victoria, and Kelowna.
In 2002, after being acquired by Cara - now known as Recipe Unlimited - the Milestones brand saw significant expansion in the east, mostly in the company's headquarter province, Ontario.
The Milestones Cambie location was known as Milestones Crossroads, and thanks to its second-level setting, boasted beautiful views of the North Shore mountains. The "high exposure" 8,307-square foot restaurant space in the 2009-built location, which tops Whole Foods, was sold in August 2020, according to listing agent Colliers.
In late October, Recipe Unlimited shuttered side-by-side locations of some of their last remaining Swiss Chalet and Harvey's outposts in B.C.
The company owns Montana's restaurants and earlier this year closed its outlet in Coquitlam Centre permanently.
The Vaughan, Ont.-based company recently said its system sales in its second-quarter totalled $389.8 million, down 55.3 per cent or $481.5 million from $871.3 million in the same quarter the previous year.
We've reached out to Recipe Unlimted and Milestones' corporate office for any official statement on the closure of the Cambie location.
Milestones' marketing department provided the following statement: "In September of 2020, our doors at 2425 Cambie Street permanently closed. After so many years, we have many thanks to give. Our staff, our managers and our guests made it an incredible ride and we thank them for choosing to celebrate life's milestones with us."
With files from Chris Campbell/Tri-City News and the Canadian Press
