Longtime restaurant’s lease at Vancouver’s VanDusen Gardens in limbo

The future of a beloved family-owned business at Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden is in limbo.

A longtime Vancouver restaurant could be losing its lease, after more than two decades in the same location.

For 25 years, the Chatten family has operated Shaughnessy Restaurant in VanDusen Botanical Gardens.

Carlle Chatten, the restaurant’s wedding director, said they have proudly hosted all manner of “life’s milestones” over that time.

“That’s something we’re very passionate about here,” Chatten said. “It didn’t happen overnight.”

The restaurant now does about 250 events per year, she said, ranging from corporate functions to birthdays.

Procurement process

That long tradition may be coming to an end. The restaurant’s lease is up in January, and Chatten said trying to renew it with the Vancouver Park Board hasn’t been an easy process.

She said in the past, the board would offer five-year lease options – but this changed in July, 2022, when the board introduced a procurement process.

As per the policy, upon the expiry of long-term contracts, if there are other qualified proponents that can deliver similar services, “there is a requirement to go to market to ensure the highest and best use, as well as the top financial return via a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Expression of Interest (RFEOI).”

‘Very unnerving’

Chatten called the process frustrating, adding there’s been a lack of transparency.

“You know, we have over 35 employees that work for us,” she said. “So to not know what’s happening so close to the expiration of our lease is very unnerving.”

At Wednesday’s Vancouver City Council meeting, the issue was to be discussed, but it was dropped from the agenda – though not before Chatten learned the outcome, through a Daily Hive article, that Truffles Fine Foods had been awarded the contract.

“It was definitely shattering and a shock,” she said. “Like, what is going on here? You know, the fact that (with) 25 years of our history, we couldn’t even find out in a dignified matter, to even alert our staff about what was happening, was really difficult.”

New operator recommended

In a joint statement to CTV News, the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board said board staff have completed their evaluation and made a recommendation for the new operator of the VanDusen Botanical Restaurant, following “a competitive procurement process.”

The board will review the recommendation before council considers it at an upcoming meeting, prior to the contract being awarded, they added.

“In alignment with the Vancouver Park Board Procurement Policy and our commitment to open, transparent and competitive procurement, this lease opportunity was publicly offered through a Request for Proposals to all eligible restaurateurs and hospitality companies,” the statement said.

When asked how many restaurants applied for the RFP at this location, the city and board said they received two responses, one from Shaughnessy Restaurant and the other from Truffles Fine Foods Ltd.

CTV News also asked for clarification as to why the report was withdrawn from the July 9 council meeting.

The city and park board said it was due to a request for additional information, and will be rescheduled for a future meeting.

In the meantime, a petition has been launched in support of Shaughnessy Restaurant. As of Friday, it’s garnered over 1,500 signatures.

Despite that, Chatten has had to consider what may happen if the family’s lease isn’t renewed.

“That’s a really difficult thing to think about, that we can no longer provide that place, for all of our customers and community,” she said.