Two sisters, 17 and 23, opened a cafe on one of the priciest corners downtown. A taco shop came back from the dead in Blood Alley.
A croissant the size of a carry-on suitcase went up in a Robson Street window.
Eleven new food spots have landed across Vancouver this summer, and several of them took over units that chains walked away from.
Here is the full list.
1. Unscripted Coffee
Angel Dee, 17, and her sister Sara Dee, 23, opened their cafe on July 31 in the former BrainStation space on Granville, steps from Waterfront Station.
Neither had run a food business before and they have never hidden it, documenting the permits, the plumbing, and the latte-art practice on Instagram.
Address: 455 Granville Street, Vancouver BC
Full story: two sisters betting everything
2. Maria Celeste
Brothers Justin and Cristian Isidro opened a 36 seat room on Fraser Street, named after their mother, in the unit Tasty Planet held. The format is the tasca, the Portuguese neighbourhood tavern.
Justin was longtime director of operations at Michelin-starred Kissa Tanto; Cristian cooked at Kissa Tanto, Lisboeta in London, and Cozinha das Flores in Porto.
Address: 4181 Fraser Street, Vancouver BC
3. Amber
The listening bar opened in early July at 99 Powell Street, in the Anchor Hotel redevelopment, roughly a year behind its original target.
It is built on the Japanese kissa tradition from the 1950s, where the stereo is the reason people come.
Curved acoustic panels hang from the ceiling in overlapping ovals, and the window decal reads “Listen, closely.”
Address: 99 Powell Street, Vancouver BC
4. Gringo Gastown
The taco shop reopened at 27 Blood Alley Square on July 16, four months after going dark “until further notice.”
Gringo had permanently closed its Davie Street and Lonsdale locations in March, then shut Gastown a week later.
The comeback post cleared 895 likes and asked people to come meet the newest family member, a baby in the photo.
Address: 27 Blood Alley Square, Vancouver BC
5. Bisou Bakehouse Robson
The French bakery opened its third Metro Vancouver shop on July 18, in the old corner Waves Coffee unit at Robson and Bute.
A croissant the size of a carry-on suitcase sits in the window on a plinth, with dozens more strung from the ceiling like a chandelier. The case runs croissants, baguettes, danishes, macarons, and cakes.
Address: Robson Street at Bute Street, Vancouver BC
6. Angus T Davie
The bakery soft opened its West End location on July 24, in the corner unit Matchstick Coffee held for 14 years before going dark at the end of March.
Black brick outside, high ceilings, pale wood and brass sconces inside.
The pastry case reads more like a flavour list than a bakery counter, with a matcha-glazed croissant at $6.50.
Address: 1305 Davie Street, Vancouver BC
7. Pallet Coffee Roasters
Pallet’s eighth cafe opened in early July at 2035 Yukon Street in Olympic Village, taking over the unit Starbucks left behind.
Floor-to-ceiling glass wraps the whole corner in a curve, so light comes in from two directions. A raw concrete column runs through the middle, with pale wood millwork and a counter lit from underneath.
Address: 2035 Yukon Street, Vancouver BC
8. Sushi Nami
The neighbourhood sushi restaurant opened at 2801 Main Street about a month after AFURI pulled out of BC on June 28, and the old AFURI sign is still bolted to the corner post.
The menu covers maki, nigiri, tempura, teriyaki, donburi, udon, and a lunch bento running 11am to 3pm, with a California roll at $6.75.
Address: 2801 Main Street, Vancouver BC
9. Sushi California Seymour
The chain quietly opened its Seymour Street shop in mid July, on the ground floor of the VSO School of Music building beside the Orpheum.
The room is a step up from the usual, with textured white stone behind the banquettes, arched niches lit by wall sconces, and black marble tile wrapping the service counter.
Address: 827 Seymour Street, Vancouver BC
Inside the new Sushi California
10. Krave Kulture Coal Harbour
The North Vancouver craft yogurt shop soft opened its first location inside Vancouver proper on July 22, a summer kiosk at the Harbour Cruises marina on Denman, right where guests board the boats.
The froyo is made in-house from organic Canadian milk, slow-fermented over 24 hours with live cultures and no thickeners.
Address: Harbour Cruises Marina, 501 Denman Street, Vancouver
Read the Krave Kulture opening
11. Lava Lunis Gelateria
The pop-up running out of Mount Pleasant’s Kranky Cafe is rolling its hand-built cart into a one-month stall at Junction Public Market on Waterfront, soft opening August 14 and running to September 9.
Owner Kangqi “Ves” Luo spent 60 days interviewing 234 people and 32 dogs on the street about flavours they wished existed.
Address: Junction Public Market, Waterfront, Vancouver (August 14 to September 9)
The gelato built from 234 street interviews
Four of these took over units that chains or long-running tenants walked away from, which is most of the story of Vancouver storefronts this year.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.