A Burnaby restaurant in a 1912 Deer Lake mansion that has operated since 1988 could lose its lease after the city opened it up to other operators.
Hart House on Deer Lake Avenue has been a restaurant and wedding venue for 38 years, and its current lease ends in December 2027.
The City of Burnaby owns the building, and over the years it has renewed the lease without advertising it publicly.
This time, the city asked for expressions of interest from anyone who wants to run it.
That call went out in August, and the window has since closed.
The current operators are among those who applied.
No decision has been made, and city staff will bring their recommendation to council at a later date.
Whoever ends up running it, the house stays a restaurant and seasonal outdoor wedding venue, with any new agreement expected to start between mid-2028 and early 2029.
Now the restaurant is asking for help.
Hart House manager Sonja Muller started a petition on November 3, asking Burnaby City Council to back its bid for a new lease.
It passed 2,000 signatures within a week.
“The potential closure of Hart House not only threatens more than four dozen livelihoods,” Muller wrote, adding that the team understands the city’s need to reassess its leases.
On its website, the team says it’s “hoping to secure a new lease for 2028 onwards.”
The house itself has plenty of history.
It was built in 1912 for Frederick Hart and his wife Alice, and it’s a recognized heritage site.
Hart House opened there in September 1988, founded by Paul Smolen and Peter Scott.
Paul Smolen took sole ownership in 2000, and his wife Carol has run it since his death in 2019.
If you’ve got a wedding or dinner booked there before 2028, nothing changes yet, since the current lease runs through the end of 2027.
The petition is linked below for anyone who wants to back the current team, and the council decision is the one to watch.
The lease fight comes as Burnaby has already said goodbye to spots like Porker Face, Sugar Burst and Stuffies in recent months.
Address
6664 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby
