All the notable recent Vancouver restaurant closures to know about
There’s no denying it: times have been tough for restaurants in and around Vancouver, with more closing by the day.
During the month of February, Dished reported on 14 restaurant closures in Metro Vancouver.
From donut shops to Mexican restaurants to child-friendly cafes, here’s your list of restaurant closures for the month of February.
Closed
Mello Arbutus
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The popular brioche donut maker operates two locations in Vancouver’s Chinatown and on Arbutus Street, and the latter closed on Feb. 17.
In an Instagram post shared Tuesday morning, the business broke down its reasoning for the not-so-sweet move, citing the upcoming redevelopment of its building as the cause.
Address: 4635 Arbutus St., Vancouver
Arike
Nigerian restaurant Arike, located at 1725 Davie St. in Vancouver, has quietly closed its doors. An announcement from the restaurant has yet to be made; however, its Instagram page has been deactivated. Additionally, it’s listed as “Temporarily Closed” on Google, and the City of Vancouver’s business licence database lists the restaurant and its catering business as having “gone out of business.”
Arike was a two-time Michelin-recommended restaurant, making the list during Michelin’s Vancouver debut in 2022 as well as in 2023. It was best known for its dishes featuring house-made rubs and spice mixes, alongside seasonal dishes and its high-quality cocktail program.
Address: 1725 Davie St., Vancouver
Don Oso’s Vancouver
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Mexican restaurant Don Oso’s broke the news in late January that it has closed the doors to its Vancouver location.
The reason for the closure? The restaurant said it’s due to rising operating costs and a significant increase in its lease.
“Despite our best efforts, with the rising operating cost these days we’ve been unable to overcome the financial challenges in these hard times, and with a 150% increase to our lease, this has not only made it unattainable but impossible. After much reflection, we’ve made the difficult decision that this is the right time for us to close our doors,” said Don Oso’s.
Address: 1305 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
Kev’s Épicerie
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Kev’s Épicerie announced that it had closed the doors to its Vancouver grocery store at 961 Denman St.
“It’s with mixed emotions that we announce the closure of Kev’s Épicerie. While we’re saying goodbye, we want to say THANK YOU to all of our amazing customers who have supported us along the way,” said the grocery store.
Kev’s was a European-inspired market best known for its “gourmet food” offerings like pantry and picnic staples such as cheeses, cured meats, olives, pasta, sauces, olive oils, vinaigrettes, crackers, and ready-to-heat gourmet frozen meals.
Address: 961 Denman St., Vancouver
Cartems Donuts
Cartems shared the news on its social channels and website with an emotional note thanking all its supporters for over a decade of delicious operations.
Widely known as one of the best donut makers in town, Cartems served up tasty takes on classic flavours and carved out a space of its own with unique offerings like the London Fog, Honey Parmesan, and Smoked Maple Walnut donuts. Its final day was Feb. 14.
Address: 2190 Main St., Vancouver
Address: 91 Golden Dr., Coquitlam
Starbucks Keefer Place
A notice posted at the International Village location at 99 Keefer Pl. and shared online announced that Starbucks #04341 will close on Friday, Feb. 14.
Dished confirmed the news with a phone call to the Gastown location, with a team member stating that Valentine’s Day would be their last in operation.
“As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio to ensure it meets the needs of our partners (employees), customers and the communities we serve,” a rep for Starbucks told Dished.
“When we approach the end of a lease with any of our stores, we routinely review the partner and customer experience and after careful consideration, we decided to not renew our lease and close the store at 99 Keefer Pl.”
Address: 99 Keefer Pl., Vancouver
Gastronomy Gastown
“We faced a lot of the same difficulties that a lot of other great restaurants in Vancouver face if they are not backed by big restaurant groups,” shared a representative of Gastronomy.
For those unfamiliar, Gastronomy was a 39-seat Italian restaurant serving food that was described as “modern-day Vancouver with Italian influence.” It opened its doors in January 2023.
Address: 62 East Cordova, Vancouver
Five Roads Brewing Taproom
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Langley-based Five Roads Brewing has closed the doors to its Richmond taproom location.
“It’s a tough decision that we’ve had to make especially with the many friends we’ve made and great times we’ve shared over the past few years in Richmond,” shared the brewery on Instagram.
Address: 12251 No 1 Rd. #130, Richmond
Closing soon
The Den
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Located at 1348 Robson St. inside the Barclay Hotel, The Den is a cozy spot to play arcade cabinets like Golden Tee, pinball, skee ball, and more while you enjoy a drink with friends.
It shared on Instagram that its final day of operation will be Feb. 28.
Address: 1348 Robson St., Vancouver
Paragon Tea Room — Cambie Street
Paragon Tea Room announced on Instagram that it will be closing its Cambie Village location, with plans to relocate in Vancouver. The tea room said the reason for the closure is because the landlord is preparing to make way for a new development.
“While we understand the nature of change, it’s hard to say goodbye to this space that has been home to so many great moments shared over tea,” said Paragon.
Paragon will continue to operate its locations in YVR Airport and its new location at 4328 No. 3 Road in Richmond, which opened in September 2024. Its final day at its Vancouver spot will be Feb. 28.
Address: 3361 Cambie St., Vancouver
Punk Rock Pastries
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Punk Rock Pastries’s owner, Hollie Fraser, shared a video on Instagram with the news that the bakery will be closing up shop.
“As you’ve probably been seeing, there’s been a lot of places shutting down this year. Unfortunately, this will be Punk Rock Pastries’ last year,” Fraser said.
Address: 5548 Hastings St., Burnaby
Mr. Tonkatsu
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Located in Surrey, Mr. Tonkatsu took to Instagram to share that it would be closing on March 9.
“Since opening our doors in April 2019, we have been truly grateful for your incredible support. It has been an honour to serve you, and every meal shared has meant the world to us,” stated the restaurant. “With heavy hearts, we announce that we will be closing.”
Address: 10320 152 St., Surrey
Circus Play Cafe
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Circus Play Cafe — one of the city’s most kid-friendly spaces — announced the sad news on its Instagram account over the weekend.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we share Circus Play Café has been forced to close permanently. This was unexpected and not the way we wanted to say goodbye, but we are so incredibly grateful for everyone who has been part of our community, every moment here has meant so much to this team of incredible people,” stated the eatery in its caption.
Address: 1502 E Hastings St., Vancouver
Townhall Langley
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The longstanding Townhall Public House located in Langley will be closing its doors at the end of February after 15 years of operation.
“We’ve made the bittersweet decision to sell the location, and while it’s the end of an era for us, we’re excited to see what the new owners have in store when they take over in March,” shared Townhall on Instagram.
Address: 19640 64 Ave., Langley
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