One of BC’s most famous TV landmarks is returning - here’s what we know
If you lived in BC during the ’90s, you most likely heard of the show The Beachcombers and, perhaps more notably, the restaurant featured in the show called Molly’s Reach.
What was once just a set piece eventually turned into an actual restaurant, but Molly’s Reach has unfortunately faced some difficulties, having closed twice in the last six years. However, a BC business owner has plans to take over and revitalize the iconic tourist destination and eatery while honouring its history.
But before we get too far into that, let’s dive into how Molly’s Reach got started in the first place.
History of Molly’s Reach
Picture this: It’s 1972, and you turn on your TV to watch one of the hottest shows, The Beachcombers, about a professional lumber salvager and his friends in Gibsons, BC. Viewers would tune in each week to see what was happening on the ocean or in the now-iconic restaurant Molly’s Reach.
As previously mentioned, Molly’s Reach was not a real restaurant when it first appeared on the show; it was just a set piece. Eventually, in 1995, the fictional eatery became a reality, and people from all over the world would travel to Gibsons to dine at the restaurant from their favourite TV show. However, despite its TV stardom, it was not all smooth sailing for Molly’s Reach.
Relic, Molly and Nick inside Molly’s Reach on The Beachcombers (CBC)
Back in 2019, CBC reported that Molly’s Reach was up for sale for a listing price of $379,000 – this price was for the business only, not the property, which, at the time, was estimated as being worth upwards of $1.5 million.
The restaurant was then purchased by several Gibsons locals – including Tim Bedford, who co-owned the now-closed Drift Cafe and Bistro. Molly’s Reach reopened in 2021.
Then, the restaurant was listed for sale once again in 2023 and has since been sitting empty and listed as “Temporarily Closed” on Google.
At the time, Dished was able to get in touch with Bedford about the sale, who said that he and his partner, Stephanie Heinz, with whom he has three children, had chosen to sell one of their restaurants to “regain a bit of that parenting time while our kids are at such wonderfully formative ages.”
“Having [Molly’s Reach and Drift Cafe and Bistro] has really taken away my time and ability to be available for my kids,” Bedford said.
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Looking into the future
The future of Molly’s Reach was looking pretty uncertain until a surprising announcement from another Gibson-based business — Black Bean Cafe — at the start of 2025.
Black Bean, co-owned by siblings David and Rebecca Bristow, shared the sad news that it would be closing its doors before the end of January. Dished reached out to Black Bean, who said, “We got the news from our landlords in fall 2024 that they wouldn’t be renewing our lease as of January 2025, so we were in a bit of shock at first!”
But this shock soon led to a different opportunity, one where the duo would take over Molly’s Reach.
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“Once we started to talk about options and we thought about Molly’s, we began to get excited at the possibility. We reached out to John and Lynn (the owners of the building), and they agreed that we’d be a great fit, so the journey began!”
David and Rebecca told Dished they plan to expand Molly’ Reach breakfast and lunch menus, as well as its drink offerings with local beers and ciders. They also told Dished that they are “sprucing Molly’s up with lots of love and care” and are revitalizing the space while being sure to “honour the history of Molly’s” while bringing Black Bean’s cozy cafe vibes into the space.
An exact opening date for Molly’s Reach has yet to be announced, but Black Bean told Dished that it expects to open sometime in mid-February.
As for Black Bean Cafe, its final day will be January 28, so there’s still time for one last meal.
With files from Daryn Wright
Molly’s Reach
Address: 647 School Road, Gibsons
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