Jose 'Joe' Antunes started working at 1150 Commercial Dr in 1976, and that's how Joe's Cafe, one of the oldest coffee shops in Vancouver, began.
Later this fall, months after he retired and decades after he opened it with his brother Tony, it will end.
A coffee shop and billiards hall run by Joe (a former bullfighter) and Tony (both from Portugal), the cafe (originally known as Continent Billiards) has served East Vancouver characters for decades.
Earlier this year, Joe and Tony retired. While it was initially announced the shop would continue without its namesake, a post on social media has confirmed the long-time cafe is closing in October.
Joe's Cafe is a longtime hangout spot in the Commercial Drive neighbourhood, and saw several notable names come by over the years, including Sarah McLachlan and Colin James, before they were famous.
Some of the creative folks who lived in the area even worked it into their work. Vancouver rockers The Ludwigs penned "Indecent at Joe's Cafe" and "On Life and Death at Joe's Cafe" was written by Wyckham Porteous.
A specific date hasn't been announced for the closure. For now, the posted times are Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
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