Purdys weighs moving longtime East Vancouver chocolate factory | Daily Hive

Purdys in early stages of exploring potential move from East Vancouver chocolate factory

Purdys Chocolatier factory at 2777 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Kenny Ho/Daily Hive)

For more than four decades, Purdys Chocolatier has used a large industrial building on Kingsway in Vancouver’s Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood as its sole chocolate factory.

It has become somewhat of a local institution and landmark, with its royal purple facade, large signage, and whimsical fountain feature for the Kingsway entrance.

But where the Canadian-owned chocolate company — founded and headquartered in Vancouver — makes its wide range of products could change, potentially bringing an end to its longtime presence at 2777 Kingsway.

Daily Hive Urbanized has learned that Purdys is in the very early stages of considering a possible relocation of its manufacturing operations to a new facility, which would represent one of the most significant transformations in the company’s history.

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“Purdys Chocolatier regularly evaluates investments in its business to ensure we are well positioned for the future,” Scott McTavish, CEO of Purdys Chocolatier, told Daily Hive Urbanized today upon inquiry.

“As part of that process, we are exploring opportunities to modernize our manufacturing capabilities to support innovation, efficiency, and long-term growth while maintaining the exceptional quality Canadians have come to expect from Purdys Chocolatier. Our focus remains on strengthening our ability to serve customers and create meaningful moments of joy through chocolate for generations to come.”

McTavish did not provide any specific details about the potential strategies being explored.

purdys chocolatier factory 2777 kingsway vancouver

Purdys Chocolatier factory at 2777 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Kenny Ho/Daily Hive)

However, it is well known that major industrial businesses have found it increasingly challenging to operate within Vancouver, which has undergone immense change over the decades. Residential development and growing urban traffic congestion have created challenges for trucking and logistics, while the city’s continued urbanization has also made it more difficult for industrial businesses to expand and modernize at their current locations.

This was also a driving reason behind Molson Coors’ permanent closure of its eight-acre Burrard Street brewery near Downtown Vancouver in 2019, when it fully relocated its Western Canada production operations to a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility on a 36-acre site in Chilliwack, with direct access to the Trans-Canada Highway. The new Fraser Valley brewery, built from scratch, also provides significant space for long-term expansion. The Burrard Street site was sold to Concord Pacific, which is proposing to redevelop the property into high-density mixed uses, including significant housing.

In 1982, Purdys opened its chocolate factory at 2777 Kingsway — located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Earles Street and Kingsway — after completing a major overhaul of the complex. The 1955-built, two-storey building provides 57,000 sq. ft. of industrial space on a 2.4-acre lot and was previously used as a Canada Dry bottling plant.

Purdys Chocolatier factory at 2777 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Purdys Chocolatier factory at 2777 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Kenny Ho/Daily Hive)

In addition to the Kingsway factory, Purdys also currently has a major facility at 8330 Chester St. (near the intersection of Southeast Marine Drive and Fraser Street) that serves as the headquarters office and warehouse/distribution facility for its retail locations across the country.

When the Purdys factory first opened at the Kingsway location, the area nearby just to the northeast contained a major cluster of heavy industrial businesses. After SkyTrain’s Joyce-Collingwood Station opened in 1985 as part of the Expo Line, the area began to undergo immense change; the cluster of high-rise residential towers and major urban public parks that exist today around the station replaced the former industrial uses.

According to BC Assessment, as of July 2025, Purdys’ Kingsway plant property is worth about $41 million, with $40.84 million coming from the land and just $122,000 attributed to the structure.

Inside the Purdys Chocolatier factory at 2777 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Juan Daniel Leano/UBC)

Inside the Purdys Chocolatier factory at 2777 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Purdys Chocolatier)

The industrial-scale Kingsway plant replaced the company’s previous small factory at 1107 West 7th Ave. in Vancouver’s Fairview Slopes area, which Purdys had used since 1949. During the period when the factory operated in Fairview, the area had a mix of light industrial and residential uses.

The City of Vancouver’s existing Choklit Park marks the former location of Purdys’ Fairview factory. The sloped public park, which provides views of the Downtown Vancouver skyline and North Shore mountains, was originally created by the company in 1970 within an unused Spruce Street right-of-way and a small wooded area next to the factory building, according to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.

The creation of Choklit Park was also associated with the construction of an expanded truck driveway to address the factory’s loading issues. Located at the top of the Fairview Slopes escarpment, the park quickly became a popular public space for many families living in nearby small rooming houses.

Choklit Park in Vancouver’s Fairview Slopes, a legacy of the area’s previous Purdys Chocolatier factory. (Google Maps)

Choklit Park in Vancouver’s Fairview Slopes, a legacy of the area’s previous Purdys Chocolatier factory. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

In 1980, when Purdys had grown to 28 stores and required additional production capacity, the company ultimately decided to relocate its factory from Fairview to the Kingsway location.

Before opening its first dedicated factory in Fairview, Purdys’ production facilities were located within various small retail buildings in Downtown Vancouver. The chocolate company was first launched in 1907 at its original location at 915 Robson St.

As of late 2025, Purdys had over 90 chocolate shops and pop-up shops across Canada.

Earlier this week, Daily Hive Urbanized also reported that Vancouver-based Breka Bakery & Cafe is proposing to build a 30-storey, mixed-use hotel tower at 8555 Cambie St., near SkyTrain’s Marine Drive Station. There would be a restaurant on the tower’s top floor, 324 hotel rooms, 32,000 sq. ft. of hotel conference and meeting space, and 22,000 sq. ft. of industrial space within the lower floors for Breka’s new industrial bakery — a new mass production hub for their baked goods. Additionally, the tower would also have a new Breka cafe location.

However, a representative for the project also told Daily Hive Urbanized that by the time the new hotel tower is built, the industrial bakery may be too small for Breka’s rapidly growing needs. Currently, this chain — open 24/7, 365 days a year — has nine cafe locations across Metro Vancouver.

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