Floata Seafood Restaurant said it is disappointed in how the city of Vancouver handled its “proactive renewal efforts” in the months before the termination of its 30-year lease inside the sparsely tenanted Chinatown Plaza.
Speaking through a Cantonese interpreter, manager and Floata partnership member Alice Chan said she was frustrated and angry to find the locks on the restaurant had been changed “without notice” on Oct. 27, with their belongings still inside.
“I felt really upset and just really sad and unhappy,” Chan told Global News in an interview Wednesday.
“It was a cold feeling and very surprising, of course,” added Floata manager Brian Yu.
In a statement on Oct. 28, the City of Vancouver said the restaurant, which has hosted weddings, banquets, cultural celebrations and fundraisers since opening in 1995 as the anchor tenant in the city-owned mall, required expensive improvements, including kitchen upgrades, and it ended Floata’s lease because it did not receive a clear plan from its operators regarding its future.
The restaurant had also accrued significant rent arrears, including unpaid amounts related to COVID-era rental support, according to the city, which said it is considering legal action to recover the overdue rent.
In an email to Global News, Floata claims it initiated discussions with the city six months prior to the Sept. 30 lease expiry date, and submitted a formal proposal outlining its plans.
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That preliminary proposal sent in March included plans for major renovations – including kitchen upgrades – starting in 2026 and to be completed by 2027.
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But Yu said they were unable to arrange a meeting with the city until Aug. 26, little more than a month before the lease expired.
“We were told three times within one hour that Floata Restaurant had ‘0 per cent chance’ of renewal,” stated Yu.
“To us, it shows no interest in going further to listen to our proposal and spend enough time to hear from the tenant,” Yu told Global News Weds.
“I was very angry, I was furious,” said Chan, who claims the city representative told her he knew of someone who would be willing to take over the large rental space.
“I feel that they had already arranged for new tenants and were trying all kinds of ways to get rid of us.”
With many reservations already confirmed, Yu said this put undue pressure on his staff and caused confusion for customers, who tried to book the large venue for banquets and community gatherings.
Yu also maintained Floata strictly adhered to the city’s repayment terms for pandemic rent, issuing monthly cheques for both regular rent and arrears, with the final payment completed on September 10.
The only outstanding rent is for October, Yu claimed, and the company behind Floata proposed applying the remaining security deposit balance of $19,427.70 towards the amount owing.
Unfortunately, he said, “the city declined this reasonable request.”
“It’s very unfair,” Chan told Global News, noting they built the restaurant over 30 years and understood how to operate it for large events.
“The city of Vancouver (they) don’t know how to run a big banquet.”
In his more than 15 years at Floata, Yu said his favourite memories involve a packed house.
“The feeling is very chaotic in the kitchen and we hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Yu said in an interview.
Chan said she feels very, very let down by the city, and the mayor and ABC councillors she supported in the 2022 municipal election.
“I will not vote (for) them again,” she said.
Yu said Floata invested $5 million to establish its Vancouver location 30 years ago, and the restaurant is grateful for the community’s unwavering support and the dedication of its staff throughout the decades.
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