After nearly three years of slinging meat-free hot dogs from a restaurant space on Robson Street, Vancouver's plant-based Good Dogs has shared the news they are packing up the shop.
"Sadly we’re saying goodbye to the ‘dog house,'" the Good Dogs revealed on Instagram Thursday (Feb. 22). "It's bittersweet leaving behind our beloved regulars and the new faces we met on the daily, y’all really made our days better and brighter!"
Good Dogs launched in the summer of 2021, replacing not one but two prior (non-vegan) hot dog ventures at 1131 Robson St.
The premise of Good Dogs has been to give Vancouver a plant-based hot dog spot with lots of lively community engagement and an emphasis on farm-fresh ingredients.
The menu not only features several vegan hot dog creations but also loaded fries, salads, desserts, and weekend brunch. The restaurant offers cocktails, happy hour specials, and lots of special events, like Pride Month gatherings and more.
Hot dog shop joins other plant-forward businesses in closing or modifying operations
Good Dogs' departure is queuing up to join a few of its plant-based comrades on the Vancouver food scene. In January, Lotus Seed Vegan shuttered on West Broadway. This month we said goodbye to Say Hello Sweets' storefront, and though Pizzeria Grano morphed from vegan to vegetarian with the addition of dairy last year, that pizza spot is closing its Main Street restaurant space on March 3.
Once a staple in the meat-free community, Heirloom recently announced its impending closure, though no date has been set. The restaurant, which took over a legendary space on West 12th in South Granville back in 2012, dropped the "Vegetarian" from its moniker and has been serving meat, to the chagrin of many longtime patrons and meat-free eaters in general.
However, being plant-based, or at least plant-forward, has not proven challenging for many Vancouver food ventures that enjoy continued success, like To Live For, Mila, or Kokomo, among many others. In fact, Folke, which is a vegan fine dining restaurant in Kitsilano that opened in 2022, earned several high-profile awards and honours in its first year of business.
For Good Dogs, giving up the shop isn't necessarily a signal that plant-based eating in Vancouver is in peril; though Good Dogs is closing its restaurant, the business will carry on, just in a new format.
'We're thrilled for what's to come'
"This isn’t really goodbye - it's actually a new beginning. We’re going fully mobile in April so expect to see our big beautiful food truck and two cute little food carts popping up around the city in an attempt to reach more hungry humans!" announced Good Dogs in its restaurant closure notice.
"We're thrilled for what's to come but we couldn't have gotten this far without the support of our incredible community – friends, families, and dedicated employees, past and present. Thank you for everything!" added Good Dogs.
The restaurant space will be open for a little longer, and Good Dogs is urging guests to come in for "more laughs at the funkiest dog house in Vancouver!"
The last day of business for Good Dogs on Robson will be March 30.
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