Another longtime Richmond spot has quietly shut its doors for good.
Wheat Garden Bakery, a no-frills Chinese bakery located in the plaza across from Richmond Public Market, has officially closed after serving the community for 18 years.
The closure was first spotted by a Noms Mag community member, and when we walked by earlier this week, the space was dark and the shop completely shuttered.
A simple orange sign taped to the front window reads:
“We will be closing our store on June 2nd (Monday). We understand this may come as a surprise, and we appreciate your loyalty and support over the past 18 years.”
While no official reason for the closure was listed on the notice, many beloved mom-and-pop food spots in the city have been forced to close due to owner retirement or unsustainable rent hikes.
These two trends have been sweeping across Metro Vancouver.
For many locals, Wheat Garden Bakery wasn’t flashy or trendy, but that was the charm.
It was one of those quiet gems that delivered on affordable Hong Kong-style and Taiwanese buns with dependable quality.
People loved it for their dan tat (egg tarts), sesame mochi, pandesal or taro buns.
And while it may not have had the media buzz of newer bakeries or the larger Chinese bakery chains, it clearly had a steady stream of regulars who kept it going for nearly two decades.
Its closure now adds to a growing list of longtime food businesses in Richmond that have shuttered recently like Suhang Restaurant, Shanghai Morning, and Pomona Coffee.
For now, there’s no word on what might replace the space or whether Wheat Garden’s team might pop up elsewhere in the future.
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Address: 8191 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6X 1A7