Some exciting changes are on the horizon at 1202 Davie St in Vancouver's vibrant West End, as the space that served as the longtime home to rebellious diner Mary's on Davie/Hamburger Mary's is embarking on its next chapter.
Keen-eyed locals recently spotted some activity on the property, which borders Jim Deva Plaza. Mary's big turquoise awnings were dismantled, exposing the old facade with an old Hamburger Mary's logo in pink and blue on white tiles.
There has been an awning at the restaurant for ages; the farthest back the Google Maps streetview feature goes is 2009 and there are awnings so it has been close to (or more than) 20 years since those tiles have seen the light of day.
It's unclear who commissioned the awning removal, however, flyers posted in the area indicate the restaurant had been used over the weekend to accommodate a film shoot that used the restaurant's interior.
Though the windows are papered over, gaps show that the interior looks much the same as it did before it closed in March, with a turquoise counter, checkered floors, and tropical wallpaper on a rear wall.
The old Hamburger Mary's sign has sparked speculation about what might be happening at the old diner space.
As it happens, the new tenants have inked a deal. The local realtor who represented the landlord in the transaction shared the news on LinkedIn: "We are thrilled to announce that 1202 Davie Street has been leased – an 1,800-square-foot flagship restaurant space located in the heart of the iconic Davie Village."
"Stay tuned for more information on Davie Street’s newest restaurant. We’ll give you a hint – they are a local Vancouver favourite!" she added.
The new tenants have put in an application for two business licences at the address; two because earlier this year, Mary's on Davie was granted one of the city's rare "Dual Liquor Licences" to operate as a performance venue in the evenings.
The applicant: The Flying Pig. (Or, specifically, Flying Pig Holdings Ltd.)
The Flying Pig group began in 2011 with its original Yaletown location; the restaurant followed with outposts in Gastown and Olympic Village. Sadly, in 2022 the Gastown location was forced to close and was demolished as a result of the devastating fire in the Winters Hotel.
Additionally, the Flying Pig team operates two award-winning Mexican concepts in Vancouver: Ophelia and Monarca.
It's not known at this stage of the game if the Flying Pig group will be replicating one of its existing concepts on Davie Street or launching a new concept entirely.
V.I.A. has reached out to the Flying Pig to learn more.
Update July 2: According to a job posting from June, the concept is called Barra Gitano and is "a more casual concept" to siblings Monarca and Ophelia. An opening date of July 3 was provided in the job posting. To date, Flying Pig or its representatives have not responded to V.I.A.'s inquiry for information.
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