'Everyone is broke': Beloved East Vancouver diner closing its doors
An East Vancouver restaurant that describes itself as a place where "omnivores, carnivores, vegans, vegetarians and celiacs can all dine together" will be closing its doors this month, citing the ongoing financial fallout from the pandemic.
The Wallflower Diner on Main Street has been serving up brunch, lunch and dinner in Mount Pleasant since 2009. It's also been the site of comedy and art shows, trivia and theme nights.
Co-owner Heather Szilagyi announced the impending closure on social media Saturday.
"Eric (Nielsen) and I are extremely proud of keeping The Wallflower going through the pandemic. We worked without days off for a very long time. We really hoped someone would be able to pick up the pieces and keep the legacy going, but everyone is broke," she wrote.
In May, the restaurant was put up for sale. The listing, which at the time showed a price of $269,000, was also shared on social media.
"Alright, someone out there has to have a long lost rich uncle," the owners wrote at the time.
The listing for the eatery is still active, showing a reduced price of $225,000.
Scrolling through the Wallflower Diner's social media feed, it's easy to get a sense of some of the pressures that led up to the closure. While many other restaurants were able to mitigate COVID-19-related capacity limits by expanding outdoors, the restaurant was initially not allowed to set up a patio.
Eventually, it was permitted a single table out front, something the owners dubbed a "sadio" in a series of tongue-in-cheek posts calling it the "world's saddest patio." They were able to add a couple more tables thanks to the support of neighbouring bookstore Pulp Fiction offering up its sidewalk space.
Another blow to the restaurant appears to have been the building of the Broadway Subway. Located less than a block north of where a station will eventually stand, the diner posted about the "seemingly endless construction" and the impact on businesses in the area.
Another post, from December of last year, alludes to the end of government subsidies and the potential that the business would have to be sold or shuttered shutter despite the owners' efforts.
"We both worked non-stop during lockdown, with no days off. Anyone who knows me at all, knows that there probably isn't another human on the planet who would have worked harder to keep a restaurant alive as I have with my 'Cheers,' Szilagyi wrote.
The Wallflower's last day will be July 12, which Szilagyi said is also her birthday.
"All past and present staff and regulars are welcome to come say goodbye. It's the end of an era! Thank you so much to all who have supported us," the social media posts concludes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.