In Vancouver, 2021 was the year of the revival of the neighbourhood grocer, but sadly, as 2023 gets underway, one of the most high-profile ventures in the city has revealed its time has come to an end.
Oh Carolina, named for the cross-street on its East 12th Avenue corner, shared over the weekend that it will soon be closing its doors.
Launched in the summer of 2021, Oh Carolina was the highly-anticipated revitalization of the Charles Grocery at the hands of local restaurant group Gooseneck Hospitality - the folks who brought us Bufala, Bells & Whistles, Lucky Taco, and (the sorely-missed) Wildebeest.
The venture was positioned as a "throwback to a time gone by," with an aim to create a community space that could serve as a spot to grab a morning coffee and breakfast sandwich or casual lunch, while also offering carefully-curated grocery items for your at-home needs.
In addition to its regular cafe menu, Oh Carolina frequently hosted evening gatherings and pop-up events.
However, in recent months, the business had been listed for sale.
In its closure announcement, Gooseneck did not divulge why Oh Carolina was closing down, but did offer a thankful parting message to its guests:
"We are so grateful to have spent the past year and a half with you. Oh Carolina has been a truly special project, in a cherished neighbourhood," begins Oh Carolina's announcement.
"Thank you to every sweet guest, caring friend, helpful neighbour, and good dog/cat that brought joy to our space," continues the message. "Thank you for helping us to support local independent food producers, and celebrate incredible chefs and winemakers at our beautiful summer pop-up events."
Gooseneck adds it will have "some exciting new experiences" to offer this year. Presumably among those will be the launch of its second location of Lucky Taco and third outpost of Bufala, which were announced last spring for South Vancouver's growing River District development.
Oh Carolina's last day of business will be Sun., Jan. 15.
