We are pleased to welcome some new tenants to Granville Island this summer!
In the Net Loft, ‘Nooroongji Books’ will be moving into the former Maiwa Handprints interior unit. Nooroongji Books is a multilingual curation bookstore for global citizens, specializing in beautiful books from all over the world with a focus on language, philosophy, art, and home. Nooroongji is brought to you by a multilingual team led by Jennifer, a seasoned Granville Islander with a background in design, books, and business. Jennifer and her team are thrilled to add cultural texture and substance to the increasingly vibrant and diverse city of Vancouver. They plan to open in July; in the meantime, you can visit their website to learn more at nooroongji.ca
In the Public Market, Lee and Patrick Murphy, who are Fraser Valley farmers, orchardists, award-winning preserve and jam makers, and small batch food production owners, will move into the former Our Little Flower Co unit with their toast bar concept, ‘Preservatory Provisions and Toast Bar’, that will highlight a hyper-local offering of ingredients such as their Preservatory preserves; Vista D’oro Farms seasonal offerings, as well as select products from small batch makers, producers and local farmers connected to their Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre. Lee and Patrick have shared with us that their mandate is to support local farmers and specialty makers, to bring the freshness of the Fraser Valley to Granville Island, and above all to make strawberry season special again! You might have seen them already at Granville Island at their holiday pop-up in the Public Market last December. In the meantime, you can visit their website to learn more about their preserves (their website for the toast bar is coming soon) at thepreservatory.com plentyandgrace.ca
Also opened during Covid and in the past year, Kasama Chocolates, Bon Macoroan Production Kitchen and classes, Propellor Design Studio, Upstart & Crow Bookshop, Niche Gallery, Federation Canadian Artists Studios, Jelly Gallery/Honey Dip studio, Pacific Angler Fishing Charters, Dona Nabata, Mondo & Company, Banquet Workshop, Kasandy Locally Global, Mawlana Cashmere & Silk, Alimentaria Mexicana | Cantina & Mercado. There are also pop-ups around the “Island” including outdoor public art, a vegan icecream truck, kids hotdog stand and a couple of yet announced new tenants on the east side of the Island, as well as a former restaurant space.
We are also pleased to announce that after extensive renovations, Bridges Restaurant has now reopened as ‘Tap & Barrel Bridges’. Bridges has a long history on Granville Island, and the new owner, Daniel Frankel, has a long history with Bridges. Daniel, a local restaurateur and entrepreneur, purchased the historic Bridges restaurant in 2018, and with that, made it one of the most storied, multi-generational restaurants in the city. Over forty years ago Daniel’s uncle, Michael Seelig, along with his business partner, took an enormous risk in opening Bridges in what was a rundown industrial site. Daniel’s parents invested, and were long time partners; Daniel’s Dad was the General Manager. Bridges included a pub, made famous by the infamous Delilah, Vancouver’s first celebrity bartender, and Bridges also introduced Vancouverites to the city’s first licenced patio. The newly renovated restaurant was designed with local and reclaimed industrial materials that celebrate the legacy of Granville Island; filled with installations from local artists and artisans, including some on Granville Island. Tap & Barrel Bridges will be the flagship location and test kitchen for the company’s culinary development program. The menu will include historic Bridges dishes, and will offer a specially curated beer and wine list just for Granville Island. A Tap & Barrel concept that honours a historic Vancouver restaurant of yesteryear… says Daniel, “I am part of Bridges history, and now I look forward to being part of its future”. tapandbarrel.com
