A West End fried chicken restaurant has flown the coop, sadly. The Roost, which opened its doors in the summer of 2020, closed permanently this fall, and the business is now listed for sale.
The Roost was the next chapter for several Vancouver restaurant vets who teamed up to transform an Italian venture into a fried chicken joint.
Situated steps from the beach at English Bay on Denman at Comox The Roost was the rebrand/revamp of Centro, which had opened in 2018 before shuttering in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
The interior was gently refreshed for The Roost but maintained the bold mod style of Vancouver designer Scott Cohen, who did the Centro space (along with that of many notable restaurants in the city). The 1037 Denman Street restaurant is 2100 square feet and has 70 seats indoors and a patio that seats 30.
The Roost centred its offerings on fried chicken available as pieces or loaded onto "handhelds," aka sandwiches, in several iterations. The fryer was busy at The Roost; their menu included things like beer-battered spiced fries, mac and cheese "bombs," fried pickles, and beignets. Additionally, The Roost had a robust beer and cocktail selection, including several drinks made using spirits barrel-aged in-house.
Last active on its social media in mid-October, The Roost did not respond to an email sent mid-November regarding the restaurant's closure. The Roost is marked "Permanently Closed" on Google and the business was just listed for sale by Re/Max Crest Realty in Vancouver.
