As you wander through the city’s streets, the ever-shifting landscape of the food industry is impossible to ignore.
Old favourites close their doors, while new ventures eagerly take their place.
It’s a cycle of change that keeps the culinary scene vibrant yet bittersweet.
For months, we’ve noticed the lights off at West End’s Izakaya Gon’s.
Opened in May 2018, Izakaya Gon’s duked it out with Kingyo offering the Japanese izakaya experience.
That meant offering an array of light snacks, deep-fried favorites, sashimi, and drinks.
During a recent walk around the neighbourhood, we saw their front door all covered up. Peeking through the window, it appears that some work is being done inside.
After some digging, we found that Izakaya Gon’s was put up for sale back in November 2023.
This explained why we’ve always seen it closed and why there haven’t been any reviews or Instagram updates for months.
The business listings have since been deleted, signaling that someone must have purchased the unit and is now beginning its transformation.
Izakaya Gon’s was operated by Beaver Record, a company with numerous hospitality ventures (sports clubs, yoga studios, karaoke shops internet cafes, and restaurants), in Japan.
Gon’s stood as their first venture overseas.
The West End itself has seen many new additions recently, including Sweet7, Dayplus Cafe, and Nom Nom Seoul.
While it’s exciting to welcome these new spots, it seems like this is the end of Izakaya Gon’s era.
Noms Magazine has contacted Izakaya Gon’s but did not receive an answer.
We’ll have to wait and see what will be taking over.
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Address: 854 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L8