Kea Foods on Main Street

Kea Foods was one of those unassuming stores that seems like it had always been part of the neighbourhood. One of those places that's always just there. So familiar in fact that I actually have very few photographs of the place at Main and East 10th. It was probably one of the oldest independent businesses in Mount Pleasant that had been going for 25 years! But that all came to an abrupt end at the beginning of May when the store suddenly closed its doors.

The store's closure is probably yet another case of the fact that in Vancouver businesses pay a much higher rate of tax than residential owners. Over the last few years land values have been skyrocketing in Mount Pleasant and there has been quite a turnover of small businesses around the neighbourhood. If you take into consideration triple net leases where taxes on the property are passed onto tenants it's no surprise that many small shops just can't make a go of it. With Kea Foods their tax bill to the City in 2018 was in the order of $60,000.00 according to a report by CTV News.

But I don't think taxes were Kea Foods only problem. I stopped shopping there years ago as I noticed much of their produce was pretty poor quality. I saw too many wilted lettuces, sagging carrots, and sad looking celeries. Plus the inside of the store just looked plain grubby. Recently I checked on Yelp and the reviews of the store were not kind! Many complained of outdated products being sold as well as goods that were obviously stale. Not to mention surly staff!

In many ways Kea Foods doesn't fit the narrative for today's Mount Pleasant (and Main Street). With all the upscaling going on in the neighbourhood a slightly rough around the edges organic-bulk foods-produce shop would be more at home on East Hastings Street or maybe Victoria Drive. Compared to some of the newer businesses in the neighbourhood you could say that Kea was in desperate need of an update! If you look back 5 years or so there were plenty more funky little shops around. Before Denman Bikes moved in just across the street Royal Furniture had occupied that space for decades. But it had devolved into a bit of a junk store before it finally closed in 2014. Down on Broadway the VGH Thrift store as well as Reno's Restaurant are another couple of examples of the "old" Mount Pleasant that are now gone.

So what does the future hold for 2600 Main Street? Only time will tell but I'm guessing the building will need a considerable makeover before someone else takes it over.

Glory Foods

I was down in Gastown recently and as I was walking along Carrall Street near Powell I immediately noticed something was missing. Glory Foods was a little corner store that was right next door to another one called Bill's Confectionary. It was always interesting to see two corner stores side by side. But the way Gastown is changing I guess it was only a matter of time before one of them disappeared. Here is an old shot of the store taken back in late 2012.

The store was located in the old Glory Hotel which was a single room occupancy hotel. Technically the building dates from 1909. But according to the folks at Changing Vancouver the hotel was built over two existing stores on Carrall Street. You can read more about the Glory Hotel in their post here. I happened to find an old photo at the Vancouver Archives of the building taken probably in the early 1980's. At that time the space was home to a belt buckle store! It's hard to photograph the building today as trees have since grown up and cover it during the spring and summer months. CVA-790-2146

I did a little searching and found out the hotel was sold back in 2014. It looks like it's also been extensively renovated over the last few years. So I guess the corner store's days were probably numbered. I'm also guessing the folks that lived in the rooms upstairs won't be able to afford to move back either. The area around Maple Tree Square and Gastown in general is going very upscale in terms of retail these days. A new store called Bailey Nelson (Australian) will be opening a new eyewear store once renovations are completed. I'm sure the new store will be nice but you can't help  miss the character of Glory Foods!

Pender Grocery

Another favourite for photographers in Vancouver is Pender Grocery on West Pender Street near Homer. Pender Grocery is one of only two corner stores in all of downtown Vancouver. It's in an old building that dates from 1908. On the corner is Finch's Tea and Coffee House and just around the corner is Lady Madonna's Thrift Store as well as the Jimi Hendrix Shrine which is located downstairs. The upstairs of the building is home to a backpackers hostel. This photo was taken back in the summer of 2013.

I should say Pender Grocery was a corner store. When I was downtown earlier in the year I noticed the little storefront was looking a bit bedraggled and it was also looking very closed. So Pender Grocery is no more. But on the weekend I happened to come across a story in the Vancouver Sun and the old store is being renovated and will eventually reopen as a boutique grocery store.



In the process of renovating the new shopkeepers discovered an old sign on the wall. It was a very old ad for The Vancouver Daily World newspaper. The wall was actually an exterior wall that was part of the building next door. So the sign had been covered up since 1908. You can read all about it this great piece by John Mackie of the Vancouver Sun. The new Pender Grocery also happens to have an Instagram account so you can also view their photos as well. It will be great to see what the new store looks like when it reopens and hopefully I'll be able to get a shot of that old sign too!

B&K Grocery

B&K is another old school corner store in East Vancouver who's glory days have been over for a while now. Tucked away at East 34th Avenue and Nanaimo the building has been around for over a century. It's one of those little places I wasn't really aware of until I found a used copy of Michael Kluckner's book Vanishing Vancouver back in 2008. Today a look with Street View reveals the store was probably open up until around 2010. Since then it's been vacant.



There was some good news back in 2016 as a developer had bought the property with the intention of restoring the store and then adding some townhomes. The building would have got Heritage status and would be a neighbourhood cafe. This model has proven successful with other old corner stores around the city. You can read more about the plan in this article in the Georgia Straight. The City also approved the rezoning of the property last year. But when I was by recently I saw a "For Sale" sign up which seemed a bit odd. So it looks like the original developer has had second thoughts about the project. Here's an old photo from 2009 when the store was still open.

The building apparently dates from 1918 but a realtor's info lists it as being from 1912. Either way the place has been around a very long time and it would be great to see it open again. According to the article in the Georgia Straight it had been B&K Grocery since 1968 and was owned by the Mah family who lived upstairs. Hopefully a new buyer will step up and will move forward with the development including the restoration of the old store!

Looking through the front window of the store back in 2012

March 2021 - I just thought I better post an update as work began in early 2020 on the redevelopment of the store and property. I think a new owner took over as the store and lot had essentially been abandoned for many years. The project is now called Century House and it looks like the townhouses are nearing completion!

Vernon Drive Grocery

Without a doubt the most photographed corner store in Vancouver must be Vernon Drive Grocery in Strathcona. Do a search on Flickr or an image search on Google and you'll find countless photos of the old store. And for good reason as it looks like not much has changed about the place in many decades! If you happen to stop by the store around sunset you could be transported back in time to Fred Herzog's Vancouver when corner stores and their colourful signage where everywhere. The place is pretty old as buildings on the property date from 1901. No doubt back in the day the store did well with Admiral Seymour Elementary School being right across the street. A City Directory search found the store had been home to numerous businesses over the years. In 1915 it was John Craig Confectionary, in 1936 it was BH Corkill Grocer, and in 1952 it was Tom and Gwen Confectionary and Grocer.



The signage on the store is also a great example of one of the last Privilege Signs in Vancouver. (another great example is Benny's Market on Union Street). These signs go way back and were supplied in this case by Coca-Cola with the shop's name flanked by red button Coke signs on the ends. In case you are wondering the Pepsi signs are non original and are hand painted. They are slightly too big scale wise and the one on the right covers up part of the word Grocery.

A closeup shot of some of the old metal letters from the store's rusting privilege sign. This sign type looks to be slightly different that the Coca-Cola Goldline program that was used in the United States. Nothing like seeing the old store in great light. I guess that's why it's a favourite for photographers in Vancouver!

Fast forward a few years since I first posted this back in 2017 and a few things have changed at Vernon Drive Grocery. In the summer of 2019 the old place got a facelift with a fresh coat of paint as the property had been put up for sale. I liked the fading colours and patina of the store's old signs but it was really starting to look a bit run down.

Now in 2020 it seems the store's days are numbered. At least in its current state. There was a piece done by Mike McCardell of CTV News on the Last Word the other night. Here's a link to watch it!

Corner Stores on Main Street

In December of last year I was walking up Main Street doing a little Christmas shopping when I noticed that the little corner store at 28th Avenue called C.K. Mart was closed. Not only closed but completely emptied out as well. I always thought it was a bit of an odd little store as I used to pick up a lottery ticket there once in a while. I'm sure times are tough in the corner store business but having a Nester's Market just half a block away surely didn't help. But I'm also thinking that rising rents along Main Street probably had something to do with the store's demise.

A bit further North at Main and 22nd Avenue yet another little corner store closed earlier in 2016. Again it was another small shop that looked like it was just trying to make a go of it.

This store also had a large Coca Cola sign hanging out front. It never worked but hopefully it'll stay put as these really are a rarity now with only just a few remaining around the city. I follow a sign blog from the US and apparently these type of Coke signs were only made for the Canadian market.

Now all of a sudden in 2017 there's a whole rash of stores closing down or moving on Main Street in the heart of Mount Pleasant in the Broadway and Kingsway area. They include The Foundation restaurant, Hot Art Wet City Gallery, Adhesif Clothing, RX Comics, and Scout Boutique. You can read all about it here in VanMag. All the craziness of Vancouver's overheated real estate market is starting to have a serious trickle down effect on many small independent businesses. It could be the little corner stores on Main Street were just the canary in the coal mine.

Penny Grocery

Poor old Penny Grocery at 2934 Kingsway is another old corner store that didn't make it. From what I can figure it probably closed its doors back in 2010. No doubt the Town Pantry at the Chevron station right next door sealed its fate. A one stop shop for drivers getting gas was probably just more convenient than having to walk and extra 20 feet to buy something at Penny.

What is remarkable about the store is its old 7up sign which is still there today. Although there are a few old Coke signs still left around Vancouver there aren't many 7up signs. This is one of only three left around town. The others are the former Olympic Grocery at 16th and Heather Street and Cardero Grocery in the West End. The sign is most likely from the early 1960's but the 7up logo with bubbles dates from the 1950's. The owners of the property might not realize it but signs of that vintage are selling in the $650 range per side!

Corner Store Memory

Corner stores are becoming few and far between around Vancouver these days. This was Kayz Korner on Victoria Drive and  East 22nd Avenue shortly before it was demolished in the spring of 2015. It was one of those unique places as the store and the house were linked together. At the end of the day the shop keeper could just lock the front door and then retire into the house. Today many old corner stores are being reinvented as cafes and eateries. Too bad this couldn't have happened with Kayz.