Heirloom Vegetarian expanding with 3 new Vancouver locations
Heirloom Vegetarian is coming up on its fifth year of operation, and owners Gus Greer and Yogi Johl couldn’t be more excited.
The business partners are thrilled that the South Granville upscale casual eatery they once considered “their baby,” is now walking, talking, and functioning on its own.
This allows the duo to set their sights on expanding the Heirloom empire, and man, have they got plans.
Heirloom has become more than a neighbourhood haunt–it’s a popular spot for vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike because it offers a fresh menu of local ingredients with big taste from brunch to late dinner.
Besides the restaurant, Greer and Johl have also opened Heirloom Juice Co, an over-the-counter juice spot with snacks and light bites located just a block up Granville Street, but now they’re looking at introducing Heirloom other Vancouver neighbourhoods – three of them, to be exact.
See also
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- The Ultimate Vancouver Brunch Guide: Heirloom Vegetarian
- Vancouver Cheap Eats: Vegetarian
The first of these spots is a 2,800 square foot Kitsilano location at 2294 4th Avenue (right between Browns Socialhouse and Plum clothing boutique), set to open at the end of summer 2017. This spot is going to feature a pizza oven for flat bread and seating for about 80 people.
The other two locations include one in West Vancouver in the new Grosvenor Ambleside building (location to open October 2017), and lastly a Main Street spot located at Main and 20th, complete with a commissary kitchen underneath for creating the in-house products opening approximately spring 2018.
All three of these spots will have a more casual concept than the original Heirloom, but will still maintain the same menu and feel.
Patrons can still expect ample seating in the restaurants (anywhere from 80 to 100) but also more grab and go options, bike racks, and water bottle fill stations to suit the needs of those in a hurry.
“We expect a lot of stroller and bike traffic, a lot of people who want to come in and get their coffee and their smoothie and walk on the seawall, and then maybe have an omelette after,” says Greer.
To make this all happen smoothly, Greer and Johl have tapped some of the best and most experienced in the culinary industry to help them with the expansion, one of those individuals being their new executive chef Ryan Stone, formally of Earls.
“We’re not trying to cannibalize on our 12th and Granville spot, we’re trying to pioneer a new concept. The way we look at social trends and market trends, there’s a big barrier to the traditional restaurant model and that’s the server – people are spending much more of their disposable income on quick-service casual,” says Greer.
Greer and Johl will be bringing Van this nutritious and filling genre of food to every corner of Vancouver soon, and they even have plans to expand Heirloom Juice Co into Kerrisdale when they find the right spot.
Lettuce keep you posted for any news or happenings with this Vancouver fav.
Heirloom Vegetarian
Address: 1509 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver
Instagram: @heirloomveg