Could a new restaurant operator swoop in to replace The Boathouse Restaurant at Kitsilano Beach?
That is a real possibility, as the Vancouver Park Board, which owns the two-storey beachside restaurant building, is currently in the process of conducting a bidding process seeking a new restaurant operator. But if the current tenant does leave, it will not happen anytime soon.
Upon inquiry, a Park Board spokesperson told Daily Hive Dished that the existing long-term lease held by The Boathouse Restaurant for the Kitsilano Beach location has come to a natural end, and cannot be renewed as an extension of the original terms.
This does not necessarily mean The Boathouse Restaurant will close, as they can bid for the opportunity to remain at the location — if they are interested. But the Park Board is also opening up the bidding process for other businesses to open a new replacement restaurant operation and concept at this high-profile location with spectacular views.
“In accordance with the City of Vancouver’s procurement policy, the long-term lease has reached its conclusion. As a result, we are required to extend this opportunity to all restaurateurs and hospitality companies, including The Boathouse,” the spokesperson told Daily Hive Urbanized.
The Boathouse Restaurant’s existing lease will come to an end in just over a year from now on January 31, 2026. The deadline to submit a bid proposal is January 31, 2025.
Daily Hive Dished reached out to The Boathouse Restaurant’s on-site and corporate management teams for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
According to the Request For Proposal (RFP), proponents are asked to “develop a destination-style restaurant operation” and propose a minimum base rent to the Park Board of no less than $240,000 annually, plus a percentage of the gross revenues from all food and beverage sales before taxes, payable monthly. The percentage rent based on gross revenue must be at least 6.5%.
The total length of the possible new lease is up to 15 years, including an initial term of five years, with two options to renew for a further term of five years each.
Location of The Boathouse Restaurant at Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver. (Google Maps)
The Boathouse Restaurant on Vancouver Park Board property at Kitsilano Beach. (Margarita Young/Shutterstock)
“This restaurant space was initially designed as a destination-style establishment. We are eager to welcome a restaurant that embodies the spirit of Vancouver and Kitsilano, offering local food and beverage concepts that will appeal to both residents and visitors,” said the Park Board spokesperson.
Currently, on the ground level of the restaurant building, fronting the beach, there is also a concession stand operated by The Boathouse Restaurant. However, the spokesperson told Daily Hive Dished that the operation of the concession stand is optional for the new restaurant business; should an operator choose not to take on the concession business as well, the Park Board will issue a separate RFP specifically for the concession space.
A November 2024 technical report by a building engineer consultant, commissioned by the Park Board, recommends the need for up to $1 million worth of renovations and upgrades to the building’s structure and mechanical and equipment systems over the next 10 years. This includes an estimated $70,000 worth of critical upgrades for the geoexchange and heat pump systems in the first year, and $690,000 worth of upgrades within the first three years, with a $400,000 roof replacement being the most expensive recommendation.
Constructed in 2005, the building is now in need of major reinvestments.
Some major improvements have been conducted over the past 20 years, but they primarily relate to improving the guest experience and expanding the capacity of the restaurant. In 2012, The Boathouse Restaurant made investments to install a retractable glass roof over a portion of the restaurant and a glass sliding window system along the entire length of the external second floor. This upgrade at the time also enhanced the licensed 56-seat patio space on the second level.
The Boathouse Restaurant at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver. (The Boathouse Restaurant)
The Boathouse Restaurant at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver. (The Boathouse Restaurant)
This restaurant building was originally constructed for the short-lived Watermark Restaurant, which opened in July 2005.
Planning for the existing restaurant building first began in 2002, replacing the previous Kitsilano Beach food concession stand. The Park Board contributed $800,000 toward the construction of the building, with the contribution provided in the form of a rent rebate over the first 10 years of the lease.
In April 2010, shortly after the Winter Olympics, the Park Board approved a request from the operator of Watermark Restaurant to transfer their lease to The Boathouse Restaurant. It was reported at the time that the family-owned operators decided to relinquish the space due to a family member’s serious health issues, not because of the financial performance of the restaurant. They were reportedly approached by The Boathouse Restaurant to take over the space.
Based on the original lease for Watermark Restaurant, upon the handover, The Boathouse Restaurant was responsible for a rent of 6.5% of gross revenues, plus annual base rent.
The Boathouse Restaurant reopened the restaurant location in May 2010, following a two-week closure to perform some minor changes.
Currently, The Boathouse Restaurant has four locations in Metro Vancouver, including in Port Moody, New Westminster, and White Rock. According to the website, the chain’s dining experience combines the experiences of a fresh seafood menu and breathtaking waterfront views. Previous locations in Richmond and English Bay in downtown Vancouver closed in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
The Boathouse Restaurant at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver. (The Boathouse Restaurant)
The Boathouse Restaurant at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver. (The Boathouse Restaurant)
Similarly, the Park Board is currently also conducting an open bidding process for a new restaurant operator to potentially replace the space of the Shaughnessy Restaurant in the 2011-built Visitor Centre of VanDusen Botanical Garden. The operators of the Shaughnessy Restaurant are also encouraged to submit a proposal, if they wish to attempt to remain at the location following the expiration of their existing lease on January 31, 2026.
According to the separate RFP for the restaurant space at VanDusen, the Park Board will also consider a minimum base annual rent of no less than $240,000, plus a percentage rent of no less than 6.5% of gross revenues.
Other Park Board-owned restaurant locations in Stanley Park (Prospect Point Cafe, Stanley Park Brewpub & Restaurant, and The Teahouse Restaurant), English Bay (Cactus Club Cafe), Olympic Village (Tap & Barrel) and Queen Elizabeth Park (Seasons In The Park Restaurant) all pay rent to the Park Board based on an annual base rent, plus a percentage of gross revenue.
But one brand new Park Board-owned major restaurant opportunity appears to have stalled. In 2015, the Park Board selected a joint partnership between McDougall Holdings and the Sequoia Company of Restaurants (operator of The Teahouse and Seasons In The Park) to build and operate a new two-storey restaurant pavilion at the easternmost end of Harbour Green Park on the Coal Harbour waterfront — wedged into a vacant space next to the seawall, immediately west of the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building and Cactus Club Cafe.
At the time of the 2015 agreement, the contract stipulated an initial lease term of 10 years, with the opportunity to renew for two additional 10-year terms for a total duration of 30 years. There would be an annual basic minimum rent of $200,000 to the Park Board, along with a variable rent based on a percentage of the restaurant’s annual gross revenues: 4% for revenues up to $8 million, 5% between $8 million and $10 million, 6% between $10 million and $12 million, and 7% for over $12 million.
At the time of approval, the Park Board estimated the Harbour Green Park restaurant location would see about $9.4 million in revenue for its first year of operations, and over the first five years the total revenue revenue gained by the Park Board would be $2.2 million — an average of about $440,000 per year over this first period.
Location of the future Harbour Green Park restaurant. (Vancouver Park Board)
2015 revised design of a two-storey restaurant building at the eastern end of Harbour Green Park, next to Vancouver Convention Centre West (left) and the January 2023 condition of the undeveloped site (right). (Vancouver Park Board)
2015 revised design of a two-storey restaurant building at the eastern end of Harbour Green Park, next to Vancouver Convention Centre West. (Vancouver Park Board)
Following an inquiry in 2023, the Park Board told Daily Hive Urbanized a development permit application to the municipal government had yet to be submitted by McDougall and Sequoia, which is the next step for the project. At the time, Sequoia also told Daily Hive Urbanized that they fully intend to proceed with the Harbour Green Park restaurant, but provided no potential timeline, noting that they were impacted by the pandemic.
As of January 2025, no development permit application has been posted to the municipal government’s website.
The last major private restaurants to be added to Park Board property are Cactus Club Cafe at English Bay Beach and Tap & Barrel at Creekside Community Centre in Olympic Village.
More recently, Park Board commissioners have tasked Park Board staff to explore new revenue opportunities to help support the operation and improvement of Vancouver’s parks and recreation system, which includes the possibility of enabling more businesses to operate at parks and other facilities.