Vancouver History: The Aristocratic Restaurant
The southwest corner of Granville & Broadway was long occupied by the Aristocratic Restaurant.
Several years ago the entire retail block was knocked down. In place of the restaurant was put the front entrance to Chapters. I'm not a big fan of this bookstore but I give them credit for commemorating a bit of the area's history with this sign:
Curiously enough, revealed that there is an Aristocratic Restaurant at 1465 West Broadway, about 1/2 block east. I've never noticed it and will have to go check it out!
Labels:
history,
restaurants,
South Granville,
Vancouver
7 comments:
I remember the Aristocrat (what we called it for short), which was owned by Mr. Oliver. My mother worked as a waitress and used to sometimes bring my little sister and I in for a special treat. We'd sit in the back and the cook would make us french fries and we'd get a special old fashioned milk shake to share. There used to be these funky paper placemats that had blank faces on them so while you were waiting you could draw different faces on them. I just remember peeking through the doorway and watching my mom working, serving Vancouverites their soup and coffee and warming their hearts with her smile. Restaurants like this were landmarks, but it was also the waitresses and staff that made them special in the hearts of people in our city. Thanks Vicki (Mom) for being a part of history, and I'm sure making a lot of people's days a bit brighter.
Although the building is now gone, some things are never forgotten.
Thank you for sharing your personal history. Absolutely marvelous!
The one you were referring to at 1465 West Broadway was where the restaurant moved to after leaving the Granville & Broadway location. It didn't last long at the new location, probably because it just didn't have the same feel.
hello, I seem to remember when I was a kid,wasn't there a aristocrat on cambie and 12th ,and NO' I am not talking about the white spot .the restaurant in question was where the gas station once was ,boy have things change in so little time.'I remember just only one thing ,it was their windows of all things. go figure, long and curvy ,the way they formed to the building a nice clean piece of glass that would come right up to the sidewalk on cambie, and sweep around to the other side..I guess the trend in architecture of the 1930's thank you. g d'anjou
There definitely was an Aristcrat, or Aristocratic, at 12th and Cambie. My diary just calls it "the 'Crat". I worked an evening shift there for about a week in 1954. It just didn't have the class of a White Spot but the milk shakes were good. I wasn't fast enough so the manager said so I went elsewhere.
Does anyone remember the Emerald Hat Shop that was next door to the Aristocrat? It belonged to my Grandmother in law.
I offen wondered what it would be like to travel back in time ,as if that was really possible ,I would like to travel to about 1910,the boom years right?and I would have no trouble in finding a job as I am now ,sorry off the subject, does any one remember the name of the hotel on the corners of howe and dumsmuir ,north /east corner , I don't recall but I do know of the cafe called the angelus ,there was another coffee shop ,I don't think they called them 'coffee shops in those days ,on the kitty corner from that hotel, one story building then,, ? just thinking of it now,what the sam heck was I doing downtown all by my self,Imust of been four year old ,[wink wink..and there were others,restaurants I mean,the horseshoe, the sportmans, the [loves]skillet scotts, my favorite] remember the fountain in the dinning room?that was class in my book, another restaurant I sort of remember was on granville st ,near robson, that looked like an airoplane in side ,with moving pictures on the wall set in port holes ,it was all most taking a trip every time I would dine there and the electric awning would go up and down as if it was an air planes wing,I just wished that I could remember its name,,,some things you just can't forget,good times, boy I use to eat out alot, ,
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