Restaurants

A dish from the restaurant iDen Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House is shown in this undated handout photo. Celebrated Beijing restaurant iDen & Quan Ju De is one of eight Vancouver restaurants to receive a coveted one-star rating from the Michelin Guide, which also feted 12 eateries with Bib Gourmands, reserved for establishments offering good food for good value. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Ken Huang *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Michelin Guide lands in Vancouver with eight stars for eight eateries

No restaurants earned two stars from prestigious service, nor did any capture a rare three stars

 

People enjoy restaurant patios in Montreal as Quebec begins easing its COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, May 28, 2021. Restaurants and bars across Canada are hoping this holiday season, the third since COVID-19 began, could finally spell recovery for the debt-laden sector. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Restaurants hope for holiday boom, but looming recession causes concern

Elevated inflation, potential recession have some worried their new normal won’t pay the bills

 

Patrons dine on a patio on King Street in Toronto, Tuesday, September 28, 2021. A new report says restaurants in Canada are ushering in higher prices, shorter menus, smaller portion sizes and reduced hours in a bid to survive inflation and labour shortages.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler

Restaurants usher in higher prices, smaller portion sizes as costs rise, report says

Industry report says half the country’s eateries operating at a loss or just breaking even

 

Members of the British Columbia General Employees’ Union picket outside a B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch facility, in Delta, B.C., on August 15, 2022. British Columbia’s largest public-sector union says it is standing down after more than two weeks of limited job action, following the resumption of contract talks.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Restaurant and bar group hails lifting of job action by B.C. public-sector union

Industry grateful further distress was being averted for businesses already facing a labour shortage

Members of the British Columbia General Employees’ Union picket outside a B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch facility, in Delta, B.C., on August 15, 2022. British Columbia’s largest public-sector union says it is standing down after more than two weeks of limited job action, following the resumption of contract talks.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Dining rooms are open again, but B.C. restaurants are still making 25 to 35 per cent of their revenue from delivery orders according to BC Restaurant and Food Services Association CEO Ian Tostenson. (Photo: Givex).

British Columbians still use delivery often months after restaurant dining rooms open

Better packaging maintains quality during delivery, but the plastics ban is on its way

Dining rooms are open again, but B.C. restaurants are still making 25 to 35 per cent of their revenue from delivery orders according to BC Restaurant and Food Services Association CEO Ian Tostenson. (Photo: Givex).
Big In Japan Bar (Photo/ Randall Brodeur)

B.C. given a ‘B’ letter grade for liquor policies in bars, restaurants: report

According to the latest edition of the ‘Raise The Bar” report, B.C. finds success in policy changes

Big In Japan Bar (Photo/ Randall Brodeur)
In the wake of temporary uses creating patio seating in parking lots during the pandemic, Oak Bay is investigating options for allowing them to continue. (Black Press Media file photo)

Oak Bay gets cooking on roadside patio permitting process

Current provincial program allows for the public-space seating until next spring

In the wake of temporary uses creating patio seating in parking lots during the pandemic, Oak Bay is investigating options for allowing them to continue. (Black Press Media file photo)
(Q Burger photo)

Vancouver Island restaurant hailed for having one of Canada’s best burgers

Q Burger owner pleasantly surprised by Top 5 kudos from readers

(Q Burger photo)
Alpina Restaurant at Villa Eyrie Resort on the Malahat was rated among the best brunch spots in Greater Victoria and even Canada, based on reviews submitted to reservation service OpenTable. (Photo courtesy of OpenTable)

Greater Victoria brunch spots voted among Canada’s best

Four area restaurants earn high marks from OpenTable users, make top 100 list

Alpina Restaurant at Villa Eyrie Resort on the Malahat was rated among the best brunch spots in Greater Victoria and even Canada, based on reviews submitted to reservation service OpenTable. (Photo courtesy of OpenTable)
Kymon and Oura Giakoumakis visit the PQB News/VI Daily studios. (Peter McCully photo)

PODCAST: Vancouver Island restaurateurs expect big summer rebound for the industry

PQBeat: Oura and Kymon Giakoumaki talk lessons learned from the pandemic, family life and more

Kymon and Oura Giakoumakis visit the PQB News/VI Daily studios. (Peter McCully photo)
Guests sit on the patio of the Penny Farthing and Vis a Vis using former parking spots along Oak Bay Avenue. Council extended the temporary pilot project in line with the province’s extension to March 2023. (Black Press Media file photo)

Province patio extension means Oak Bay eateries enjoy outdoor spaces to 2023

District plans to develop a permitting process ahead of the 2023 deadline

Guests sit on the patio of the Penny Farthing and Vis a Vis using former parking spots along Oak Bay Avenue. Council extended the temporary pilot project in line with the province’s extension to March 2023. (Black Press Media file photo)
Atlas’s seafood chowder is one of the star’s of the episode. Photo supplied

Vancouver Island restaurant featured on Big Food Bucket List

Food Network show’s episode filmed at the Atlas Cafe in Courtenay airs this month

Atlas’s seafood chowder is one of the star’s of the episode. Photo supplied
Darioush Diba, owner of Bubby’s Restaurant, stands outside its Menzies Street location. He questions the need for the level of traffic restrictions into James Bay as are being exercised by VicPD. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)

Some James Bay eateries less busy, staff late since VicPD checkpoints installed

Operators have mixed views on need for Victoria police controls on neighbourhood entry

Darioush Diba, owner of Bubby’s Restaurant, stands outside its Menzies Street location. He questions the need for the level of traffic restrictions into James Bay as are being exercised by VicPD. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)
Food delivery company drivers wait to pick up food at a Cactus Club Cafe restaurant in a very quiet downtown Vancouver, on Sunday, April 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Founders of Earls, Joey Restaurants acquire ownership of Cactus Club Cafe

The Fuller family were early investors in the Cactus Club chain

Food delivery company drivers wait to pick up food at a Cactus Club Cafe restaurant in a very quiet downtown Vancouver, on Sunday, April 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Late 2021 saw the number of restaurant reservations and take-out orders in B.C. soar like there’d never been a pandemic. (Black Press Media file photo)

British Columbians were back to restaurants in pre-pandemic numbers in late 2021

Survey finds Labour Day weekend busier than 2019, giving operators optimism for 2022

Late 2021 saw the number of restaurant reservations and take-out orders in B.C. soar like there’d never been a pandemic. (Black Press Media file photo)
With Victoria’s new green takeout plan, customers purchase an $8 container at a participating business. The food comes packed in the reusable container. The customer brings the clean reusable container when ordering takeout from any participating business and receives it in a new container. (Courtesy Bread & Butter Collective)

Victoria restaurants launch reuseable takeout container program

City estimates 75,000 single-use items are trashed every day

With Victoria’s new green takeout plan, customers purchase an $8 container at a participating business. The food comes packed in the reusable container. The customer brings the clean reusable container when ordering takeout from any participating business and receives it in a new container. (Courtesy Bread & Butter Collective)
A restaurant chain serving all-vegan breakfasts, burgers, salads and wraps is coming to Victoria. (Odd Burger/Facebook)

Vegan fast-food restaurant planned for Victoria

Ontario-based Odd Burger Corporation sets sights on the West Coast

A restaurant chain serving all-vegan breakfasts, burgers, salads and wraps is coming to Victoria. (Odd Burger/Facebook)
Morgan Watson, owner of Bartholomew’s Public House, behind a bar decked out with Christmas lights. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)

Local pubs share pleasure, purpose of Christmas serving tradition

Two local pubs share their reasons for keeping the doors open on Dec. 25

Morgan Watson, owner of Bartholomew’s Public House, behind a bar decked out with Christmas lights. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)
A food delivery person wears a protective face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as they do a pick up in Yaletown in Vancouver, Thursday, December 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

B.C. extends 15% cap on restaurant delivery fees for another year

Dining inside restaurants has gone down during the pandemic, while delivery services have surged

A food delivery person wears a protective face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as they do a pick up in Yaletown in Vancouver, Thursday, December 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Ferris’ on Yates Street and Cook Street eatery Bear & Joey are two of OpenTable’s top 100 Canadian restaurants, as rated by diners. (Ferris’ Upstairs Seafood & Oyster Bar/Facebook)

Two Victoria restaurants make reservation platform’s top 100 list

Customers rank local brunch and seafood eateries into top spots

Ferris’ on Yates Street and Cook Street eatery Bear & Joey are two of OpenTable’s top 100 Canadian restaurants, as rated by diners. (Ferris’ Upstairs Seafood & Oyster Bar/Facebook)