The business, along with the property — which includes a two-bedroom suite upstairs — is listed for just under $8 million. “It’s shocking,” said Glen Delukas, general manager at The Naam. “We’re all still processing it.” DeLucas, who started working at the restaurant in 1990 as a cook, said the owners are in their 70s and “kind of want to wash their hands of the whole thing.” Glen Delukas, general manager of Naam, is pictured at the restaurant in September 2019. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC) He said rising costs, including payroll tax, salaries and supplies, are a constant challenge and it has been difficult to turn a profit. The listing says the business has annual revenue of $1.5 million. The restaurant, which included a grocery store, was named Naam in 1969 when Kitsilano was known as a hippie hot spot. In 1989 it changed to 24 hours, which continued until the pandemic forced a brief closure. When it reopened, staffing was difficult, DeLucas said, and the restaurant now closes at 11 p.m. WATCHES | Customers mourn the possible closure of Vancouver’s favorite restaurant:
Vancouverites are reacting to local vegetarian institution going up for sale
For people looking for 24-hour vegetarian comfort, The Naam in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood has been the go-to spot for decades. But now the future of the restaurant is in jeopardy as the longtime owners are listing it for sale. Much of the menu has remained consistent over the years, with items like veggie burgers and sesame fries with a side of miso gravy, Mexican dishes and dragon bowls. “So many years now, so many memories and changes throughout my life and The Naam has been a constant through it all,” DeLucas said, adding that many staff members have been there even longer than he has. The property listing advertises the property as a future redevelopment site, but also highlights the “high-profile” restaurant on the ground floor. DeLucas said he doesn’t know what the future holds for him, the staff and the restaurant. The new owners could keep things going, or maybe it won’t even sell. “Maybe I’ll find the perfect formula to keep us alive,” he said. Vegetarian cuisine served at The Naam on September 9, 2022. ( Amélia MachHour/CBC ) According to DeLuca, if the building is sold for redevelopment, there’s always the possibility that the restaurant, with many of the same people and recipes, will eventually reopen in another location. “For now we are here. I will continue to steer the ship and continue as long as we can,” he said. And while customers continue to come and enjoy the classic dishes, DeLucas said the real estate listing hasn’t come to anything yet. “No bites so far.”
