Sometimes it seems a new restaurant appears in the blink of an eye, sliding into a shuttered space and making short work of getting up and running. Other times, however, the wait can seem like an eternity.
Since we have now learned that celeb chef/restaurateur David Chang will not be bringing his Momofuku noodle bar concept to Vancouver after all (sigh), the longest-anticipated venture on the upcoming restaurant roster is local bakery Small Victory, whose fourth venture (cafe and production facility) in Mount Pleasant has been in the works since 2020. The reboot of Foo's Ho Ho in Chinatown is the runner-up; that one has been on our radar since the summer of 2021.
As the end of 2022 approaches, here's a look at some Vancouver restaurants, cafés, and bars that have been in the works for weeks, months, or over a year that might (or should) get up and running before the new year. Included are a couple of spots that will be welcoming guests before the end of October, too.
Hazukido
Starting off with a bit of a ringer here, because this Taiwanese bakery chain that specializes in Japanese croissants has already set an opening date, and it's very (very!) soon: Oct. 29. Hazukido (280 Nelson St) sources its flour from Japan and its butter from France. Croissant options include both savoury and sweet pastries, and they have seasonal specials as well.
Wild Thing
The team from Wild Thing Snack bar, a vegan and vegetarian wine and brunch restaurant, is about to open a second concept at 2420 Main St in the former Wallflower diner space. Wild Thing's Powell Street menu is plant-forward and meat-free; everything is vegetarian but not strictly vegan. Some dishes feature eggs or dairy, however, several are fully plant-based or can be made plant-based. Menu details are to come, but the restaurant plans to open up Halloween weekend. Follow @wildthingonmain for more info.
Courtside
We've been waiting patiently on the bench for this one: Courtside is a sports bar concept honed in on all things basketball - quite a feat in a city without a current NBA team! What's expected at the playful Mount Pleasant venue (2415 Main St) is not just all things b-ball, but also great beers including in buckets, along with food. No opening date set yet, but we hear it shouldn't be too much longer.
Pablo Cheese Tart
File this one in the "it's been months" column: Pablo Cheese Tart has been operating franchises in Canada for a few years now but has yet to crack the B.C. market, and its debut location in Vancouver (511 West Broadway) has been in the works since early 2022. Pablo calls their creation a "cheese tart" and offers them in full or mini sizes, as well as in specialty flavours, including some options that are distinct to the region. Initially aiming to be open by summer, the Vancouver Pablo is still not open.
The Herrick
Change has been afoot beneath the Rosewood Hotel Georgia for months now, as the opulent speakeasy-style bar Prohibition is giving way to The Herrick, a brand new venture setting up in the storied location. The Herrick, which is the latest Vancouver project from the team behind the city's popular Keefer Bar, hopes to invoke the historic spirit of the hotel and offer a similar allure to the lounges and bars of years past in the space. The Herrick has not yet shared an official timeline for the extensive renovation or target opening date, but you can learn more on their Instagram, @theherrick (which hasn't seen an update since the end of May).
Novella
It's likely Novella, a coffee-centric concept from the folks behind the award-winning Bar Susu and Published on Main, will be opening its doors sooner than later. In the works since the end of 2021, Novella's goal is to connect locals with great coffee, top-quality breakfast and brunch fare, and small-batch producers of packaged foods and goods. Nothing official yet for a launch date; the website and socials still indicate it's "coming soon."
To Live For Bakery Café
Vancouver blogger and influencer Erin Ireland has made her line of plant-based baked goods "To Live For" a staple in local cafes and retail spaces for the past several years Announced in early June of this year, To Live For is setting up an expanded prep kitchen and a retail cafe-style space for customers in East Vancouver at Grant and Nanaimo streets. Recently, Ireland ran a crowdfunding campaign to help the venture cross the finish line. Work is happening in the space and while it didn't make the hoped-for mid-October opening, it should be sooner than later.
Antise Pastry Lab
The established online bakery, founded by award-winning pastry chef Emiddio Isernia, has enjoyed success and established a fan base in Vancouver, and Antise's baked goods are sold at several high-profile local Italian restaurants. Now Antise is poised to take a major step: opening as a brick-and-mortar space in Gastown at 360 Carrall St.
Saan Saan
This Hong Kong cafe venture is located at 227 Main St in a redeveloped ground-floor space on the Gastown-Downtown Eastside border between Powell and Cordova streets. Saan Saan seems to be setting out to take the HK cafe experience to the next level in Vancouver. "We create delicious, nostalgic, gluten free, HK style cafe comfort food," describes the restaurant's website. The space itself has been in the family for three generations, but not as a retail space. The restaurant has been aiming for a fall 2022 opening.
Mr Sushi - Vancouver location
Now in its fourth decade, a popular mom-and-pop sushi restaurant with two North Shore locations is getting ready to open up shop in Vancouver. Mr. Sushi began in the nineties in North Vancouver and now operates in Lower Lonsdale and Lynn Valley. Now, the restaurant is prepping to launch at 176 E Second Ave. in Olympic Village, on the ground floor of a mixed-use new build called Second + Main.
Small Victory - Mount Pleasant location
It's been over two years since Small Victory purchased a 7,000-square-foot retail space located on the ground floor of Chard Development’s The Yukon building in Mount Pleasant. There, Small Victory will "launch an innovative industrial bakery, which will include a production and retail space, bringing customers closer to the theatrics of milling, producing, baking, and brewing." The bakery had hoped to be moved in by spring 2021, but delays mean we are still waiting. Still, those cinnamon rolls and almond croissants should be baking up soon (we hope).
TWG Tea Salon - relocation
Back in mid-2021, the high-end Singapore-based tea retailer TWG Tea closed up its boutique and salon operation in Downtown Vancouver in preparation to scale back and slide into new digs on Robson. The new TWG Tea shop will be taking up residence in the space that had previously been a Tesla showroom, and a skincare retailer before that, at 929 Robson St. A recent email to TWG asking about an opening date was not returned.
Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba/Bufala/Lucky Taco - River District
The River District is a growing area, and back in the spring we learned that joining the retail options at the 130-acre planned community will be outposts of Bufala, Lucky Taco, and Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba. Bufala and Lucky Taco are both brands under the Gooseneck Hospitality umbrella, the Vancouver-based restaurant powerhouse that also runs Bells & Whistles. Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba is a global chain that set up shop initially in downtown Vancouver before expanding to include numerous locations in the Metro area. Mazesoba is a style of "soup-less" ramen; the chain began just shy of a decade ago in Japan. No opening dates set yet.
The Pleasant
After a lengthy delay, a new casual restaurant is gearing up to open its doors in Mount Pleasant. The Pleasant, at 2434 Main St, was in the early stages of its build when, on Oct. 22, 2020, a devastating fire tore through numerous businesses on the block. The team behind the fun-focused concept, which occupies the former Guys & Dolls billiards hall, persevered and is now almost ready to welcome guests. The Pleasant is described by operators as a "counter-service eatery" that "will offer casual Asian and Canadian comfort foods to pair with a large selection of local craft beers." And yes - a pool table, too.
Foo's Ho Ho
The landmark restaurant, which is thought to have been the oldest Chinese restaurant in Vancouver, opened for business by the Quon family in 1954 on Pender at Columbia. Generations of locals knew to go to the spot with the illuminated bowl and chopsticks for Cantonese-style classics. Even as ownership - and the address - changed, the name, the signature neon iconography, and the public's fondness remained constant. Closed for over a decade now, however, Foo's Ho Ho is getting ready to be reborn at 100 E Pender St. The owner is Carol Lee, a prominent figure in Vancouver's Chinatown. The project has been slow-going; no updates in months about the venture, which Lee had hoped to open in early 2022.
It's Okay
Sliding in the vacated Bad Apple vegan space at 2481 E Hastings St will be something called It's Okay, which describes itself as "a neighbourhood bar that’s open late." It's Okay is putting its planned opening date as "sometime in 2022," so hopefully folks can belly up to the bar before the clock winds down on this year.
Radish
The team from Nook and Oddfish is behind this casual concept, which is poised to open soon. The restaurant took over the old Rocky Mountain Flatbread in Kits (1867 W 1st ), and was looking to do something along the lines of a counter-serve daytime spot; it's also where their Nook Pasta Bar shop shifted its operations a couple of months back.
