Kevin & Kevin to leave Chinatown address, reopen in West End

Kevin & Kevin only just recently celebrated its two-year anniversary at its 488 Gore Street address, but it seems the bar and restaurant’s time in Chinatown has come to a close.

Earlier this week, Kevin & Kevin shared on its Instagram account that its last day at this location would be January 29.

The juice bar, health food restaurant, and cocktail lounge did not share details about its closure on its post, but elaborated on its reasons in an email to Dished.

“The restaurant started off very strong when we first opened in October 2020, but due to the pandemic and the city’s unnecessary rule enforcement shutting down restaurants, being a new restaurant it had completely taken the wind right out of our sails,” owner Kevin Frank tells us.

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When Kevin & Kevin, along with other restaurants in the city, were allowed to reopen, “it was nearly impossible to retrieve the amount of clientele that we had before,” Frank notes.

He also suggested that the city’s treatment of the houseless, specifically those living in tents on East Hastings Street, lead to more “angry aggressive behaviour” in the neighbourhood, which negatively impacted the business.

“We had at least two to three assaults a week happening right around us so naturally people then didn’t want to come to the neighbourhood anymore,” Frank says.

As for its new location, Frank admits that relocating is going to be a “very costly move but its the only way to breath some life back into Kevin & Kevin rather then shutting down completely which, at the end of the day, is not an option for me.”

Courtesy Kevin & Kevin

Kevin & Kevin’s new location in the West End is already in the works. The new spot will be on the corner of Davie Street and Denman Street, “right beside The Three Brits” Frank tells us.

The unique concept, which originally opened in October 2020, operated as a casual spot for bowls, salads, fresh-pressed juice and more during the day and at night becoming a very trendy cocktail lounge.