There's a little shifting going on in the West End and changes are afoot on the Japanese izakaya scene there. The Guu chain is moving into the long-vacant space on Davie that was last home to Upper Deck, while they recently closed down their nearby Denman Street Guu Kobachi location.
Guu Izakaya Davie (@GoodVibesYVR/Twitter)
Guu Davie, as it's being called, is going into 1239 Davie Street, which has sat empty since March 2017, when Upper Deck closed up shop.
The Vancouver-born chain of Japanese eateries specializing in the izakaya pub-like style of drinks and share plates has been around in Vancouver since 1993, when they opened their original spot (as "Raku") on Thurlow.
Over at 735 Denman Street near Alberni, Guu Kobachi closed their doors on September 26 after seven years in the spot, due to pending demolition of the building for redevelopment. But, as Guu said, "when one door closes, another one opens," and hinted they had another location in the works.
Guu Kobachi (@jayzyc93/Instagram)
That location is the Guu Davie spot, which they are aiming to open in December or January. One of six locations in their portfolio, the Davie location replaces the Denman one, so while it's not an expansion, it is an exciting change for the chain. In addition to their five Vancouver locations, Guu has one Toronto location.
