‘The math doesn’t work’: Why another restaurant is leaving this Chinatown space

The Mexican-inspired brewery La Cerveceria Astilleros is pictured on a sunny day in Vancouver. The Chinatown restaurant space is up for sale again, marking the fourth time in as many years. (Source: Restaurant Business Broker)

A restaurant space in Vancouver’s Chinatown will soon change hands, marking the fourth turnover in nearly as many years.

Mexican-inspired brewery La Cerveceria Astilleros is the latest business preparing to leave 219 Union St., the former home of The Union, a beloved Asian fusion spot that closed in October 2022 after more than a decade in business.

Since then, the space has seen a rapid turnover of tenants. It hosted The Darkside gastropub for five months, later helped launch the Miso Taco franchise during a 15-month run, and became the second location of La Cerveceria Astilleros in October 2024.

Owner Andrew Doyle says he had high hopes for the Chinatown location, as it had nearly double the capacity of the brewery’s busy North Vancouver flagship, on top of south-facing exposure along a popular bike route.

“On paper it’s perfect, but the math just doesn’t work—the rent is too high.” Doyle tells CTV News. He says the $11,000 monthly rent is set to increase when the lease expires in May, plus the cost of patio permits and a business license in Vancouver is nearly 10 times higher than at his North Shore brewery.

“Even if I could break even, I would keep it open. It wasn’t even so much about making money. I almost looked at it as a marketing vehicle, an opportunity for people to taste, touch, feel and experience the brand,” says Doyle.

He acknowledges having reservations about the space’s history of high turnover when he was considering purchasing the lease and license from Miso Taco. But the restaurant’s viral popularity on TikTok, coupled with strong financial statements from The Union’s former owner, The Cascade Company, helped tip the decision.

“But there was a reason why they were selling it too,” Doyle says.

For Miso Taco’s owner and head chef Diego Delgado, the reason was the lease itself.

“We were very happy at 219 Union Street, Miso Taco was doing really well,” explains Delgado. “The biggest factor in selling was simply because the renewal of the lease was happening in May 2026. We were hoping someone would be interested in taking it over and we could find a place with more years.”

He describes Chinatown as “one of the coolest areas of the city,” adding that he hopes the next tenant of 219 Union St. enjoys the same success Miso Taco did.

Doyle, however, is less optimistic about the broader outlook for independent operators.

“It’s a really hard time to be in the hospitality industry, unless you have a Michelin star or you’re a chain,” he says. “The small business guys get squeezed first, but eventually if the landlord gets squeezed, maybe they have a bigger voice to encourage city council to lower some costs.”

In the meantime, Doyle is hoping to sell the Chinatown location, currently listed for $130,000, and reinvest in a new spot in the suburbs. While not all staff will be retained, he says some will be relocated to the North Vancouver brewery.

His advice to other small business owners?

“Go viral on TikTok or maybe look at other geographical locations where they’re underserved,” says Doyle. “ I think that location is overserved.”

CTV News has reached out to the landlord Onni Group for comment and will update this article if a response is received.