When the Cactus Club Café first opened in Vancouver, its image was decidedly different from the one it features today.

Way back in 1992, when the locally based restaurant chain opened its fourth location at No. 3 Road and Landsdowne Road in Richmond, the décor featured neon signs and rubber chickens. Fun times.

But as part of its relocation and continuing evolution of its identity, the Lansdowne location auctioned off its previous décor items, which included a massive moose head and a painting of a rabbit in a hat. (The auction raised $5,000 for the Richmond Food Bank—not too shabby at all.)

The restaurant closed down its previous Richmond location in October and opened its new premises on November 7 at 1666–6551 No. 3 Road at Richmond Centre.

With a seating capacity of 300 patrons, the new 7,000-square-foot premises feature mahogany wood floors and cedar wood accents, plus a heated enclosed patio (with a retractable roof, sliding glass walls, and booth seating).

Making the animal-themed décor of its previous incarnation truly a thing of the past, the new location displays a variety of modern art prints and designer lighting by names such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mr. Brainwash, Poul Henningsen, and Omer Arbel.

Forthcoming potential projects will include Metrotown and Brentwood locations in Burnaby, although details are not yet available.

The restaurant opened its first location in North Vancouver in 1988, and now has several locations in B.C. and Alberta, as well as one in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and another in Toronto, Ontario.