With schools closed, advisories to avoid transit and the roads, and many a Vancouverite firing up their work-from-home protocols, several local restaurants are also opting to close Wednesday (Jan. 17) due to the snowy weather conditions.
Restaurants are taking to social media to post schedule updates, notifying customers they won't be up and running today.
"We’re going to follow Vancouver School District’s lead and have a snow day today. Apologies for any inconvenience, but we look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Stay safe out there," shared East Van's Straight & Marrow on Instagram.
Similarly, Gastown's acclaimed L'Abattoir said today they would be reaching out to anyone with reservations for this evening to reschedule. "Due to the winter storm in and around Vancouver today, we will be closed for the safety of our team and guests. We look forward to welcoming you back another evening and apologize for the inconvenience," noted the restaurant.
"We just couldn’t ask our staff to stay today as the snow keeps falling outside and commute conditions worsen. We hope to be back in action tomorrow, but we’ll keep you updated here as things progress," posted Prototype Coffee.
Other restaurants and food businesses joining them include Saba Foods (which will wrap up at its original Chinatown location next week ahead of a move this spring to the old West space on South Granville), Uno Gelato, and Dosanko.
Ahead of the wintry weather, some businesses, like Vancouver donut shop Cartems, made the call to keep the doors locked today late Tuesday: "We don't want our precious donuts going on an icy adventure, so we're putting safety first and closing up shop," the business posted yesterday on Instagram.
Unfortunately, today's snow is piling on existing weather woes, as several Vancouver restaurants endured - or continue to grapple with - burst pipes due to the arrival late last week of an Arctic air blast.
"As with many restaurants in Vancouver, our pipes burst over the weekend. We will keep you updat[ed] on reopening when we have more information," posted The Parker Rooftop on Monday.
Some Vancouver restaurants open, offering specials
Multiple restaurants, cafes, and food businesses, however, are braving the wintry conditions Wednesday and are up and running.
One local restaurant chain, the breakfast-centric Yolks (which recently opened a new location on Davie), is using the snow day as incentive to offer guests a bit of a break on the bill. They are offering a "Schools Out, Fun’s In!" deal, with 50 per cent off kids' meals; one discounted kids' meal with the purchase of an adult meal. "Bring your little ones for a delightful day out," shared the restaurant.
Other local restaurants that are open on Wednesday include Bar Corso, Chinatown BBQ, Gary's, Sing Sing, Afuri, and Smitty's on Main.
The timing of Wednesday's snowfall comes the same day as Dine Out Vancouver's festival kicks off, with over 380 Metro Vancouver restaurants offering fixed-price meals and specials through Feb. 4.
It's also early in Metro Van's month-long celebration of one of winter's best warming drinks: The Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival began on Jan. 13 and runs through Feb. 14, with 71 vendors serving up 162 hot chocolate drinks at 105 locations across the region.
Anyone looking to grab a snack, meal, or comforting drink at a local restaurant or cafe should check the business' social media or website, or give them a call, before heading in to ensure they're open during the snowstorm.
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