Last week, we shared the surprising news that Archer, the celebrated Michelin Recommended Pacific Northwest restaurant on Alberni Street, had announced its sudden closure after 2.5 years in operation.
The team framed it as a bittersweet pause as they “thoughtfully consider what’s next.”
But our source gave us clues that there’s a deeper layer behind the closure.
And that led us to the doors of Archer, where we found a notice of termination.
The notice shows that the restaurant’s lease was actually formally terminated by the landlord, for failure to pay Basic Rent and other financial obligations.
The notice ordered Archer to immediately vacate the premises and return all keys and security cards.
A closer look at the notice shows that Archer’s lease, originally signed in January 2022, was amended five times between May 2022 and January 2023.
That’s an unusually high number of adjustments over a short period.
While the reasons for the amendments are not detailed, frequent lease amendments in the commercial space often signal attempts to renegotiate terms, manage arrears, or adjust to financial pressures.
Considering the poor economy and rise of labour and food costs, most restaurants have been negatively impacted.
And while the specific dollar amount of unpaid rent isn’t disclosed, nor how many months of rent were missed, one’s imagination can go wild if you consider how pricey Alberni street is.
As for what will replace the prime spot on Alberni Street, no announcements have been made.
Archer now joins the list of restaurants that got their lease terminated in 2025 with Tiko Pizzeria and Gastronomy.
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Address: 1152 Alberni St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A5