“Restaurant ownership and the economic viability of small neighborhood stores is not what it used to be.”
A decade-long chapter for Vancouver’s beloved restaurant family has come to an end. autostrada announced on Saturday (January 20) that it will close its Pender Street store by the end of the month.
“It is with bittersweetness that we have decided to close this beloved location of the Autostrada family of restaurants. The economic viability of small shops is not what it used to be.” Operators shared a heartfelt announcement on social media.
It is located at 360 W Pender St and spent the first half of its life as Cinara.
Named Vancouver’s Best Italian Restaurant at the 2018 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, Cinara is the venture of chef Lukay Sime and business partner Dustin Dockendorff, who have built a successful original restaurant. In 2018-2019, the restaurant was transformed into an Autostrada outpost. Located on Main Street.
A few years later, the Autostrada family has grown again, adding a location in the Vancouver House development downtown, opening in early 2021.
“After 10 years, Autostrada’s downtown osteria has become the stuff of neighborhood dreams, with unpretentious Italian cuisine, loyal guests, and a legendary team of the city’s top chefs and proprietors. ” the owners explained in the Pender store’s closing notice.
Autostrada is known for its casual Italian cuisine with a relaxed “come as you are” atmosphere and first-class hospitality. The downtown store’s menu includes favorites like meatballs, anchovy focaccia, bucatino cacio e his pepe, and ever-changing house-made signature pastas.
Discerning Netflix fans may recognize the former Shinara as Sasha’s (Ali Wong) restaurant Judy’s Way. Always Be My Maybee.
Pender’s location on Autostrada was listed for sale last fall.
But as Autostrada in downtown Vancouver bids farewell this month, owners say it’s not all sad news.
That’s because they are “developing a new Autostrada in the next year or so.”
Location information has not yet been released. The Autostrada team urges everyone to look forward to it.
West Pender’s Autostrada will make its final trip on January 27th.
“Thank you, Vancouver,” the message concludes, with the addition: “I’m not crying, you’re crying.”
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