It seems the closures just aren’t ending…
Shoku has quietly shut its doors, adding yet another name to Vancouver’s growing list of restaurant closures.
If you’ve been following the city’s food scene, you know this isn’t the first spot to disappear without much of a goodbye.
According to Vancouver is Awesome, a lease sign has appeared on Shoku’s doors, and its business license status was listed as “Gone out of business.”
The West Broadway restaurant, which opened on October 2023, was known for its Korean-Japanese kaiseki dining experience, offering an affordable $60 five-course meal.
It was also the sister brand to Tekkaba in Gastown, which featured a similar kaiseki menu alongside scheduled piano performances.
Shoku quickly became a hit on social media, thanks to its relatively budget-friendly multi-course meals, which included a mix of salad, tempura, chawanmushi, nigiri, BBQ, and udon.
However, despite its initial popularity, it appears that the restaurant struggled to keep up.
VIA noted that Shoku’s social media has been inactive since January 2024, and our own walk-by in August 2024 revealed that the restaurant was already closed at the time, with a sign indicating plans to reopen in November after repairs.
Based on a recent Google review from three months ago, it seems the restaurant did reopen briefly before shutting down for good.
The closure isn’t too surprising, given that this much of West Broadway has been hit hard by the ongoing SkyTrain construction.
Shoku now joins other casualties like Yushang Hot Pot and Simit Bakery, both of which shuttered amid the disruptive infrastructure work.
While the exact reasons behind Shoku’s closure remain unclear, it’s another stark reminder of how tough it is for food businesses to survive in today’s economy.
Rising food costs, staff turnover, and a struggling restaurant industry continue to claim more victims, and unfortunately, Shoku appears to be another one.
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Address: 1177 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 1G3