Change is afoot in the Davie Village. As a number of closures of eateries have taken place in the West End neighbourhood over the last few months, here's a roundup of some of the recent departures.

Dish dashed

Despite reaching its 25^th anniversary, The Dish at 1068 Davie Street closed on October 21.

The LGBT–owned and –operated business had been a longtime Davie Village institution known for its all-day breakfast items, sandwiches, wraps, soup, smoothies, rice bowls, and more.

New owners Bobbie Lim and Marc Arendt took over last year and noted in a Facebook post that they had made numerous improvements, such as updating the menu, including introducing vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free items; renovating the interior; purchasing new equipment; and implementing staff promotions, pay raises, and a bonus program.

"We saw what a hidden gem it was and thought we could make the restaurant profitable again," they stated in a farewell post on Facebook.

The owners declined to be interviewed by the Georgia Straight. However, Lim and Arendt were reported as citing living wages and increased costs as factors contributing to their closure. 

The neighbouring Pet Pantry (at 1066 Davie Street) will be moving into the premises.

Meat no more

Only a few doors down, Meat City Sandwiches closed down earlier this year at 1074 Davie Street.

The casual eatery, which opened in July 2015, was cofounded by former B.C. Lions offensive lineman Jon Hameister-Reis, who also competed on the second season of MasterChef Canada.

As the name conveyed, the place specialized in freshly cooked meat, including Moroccan lamb, porchetta, sandwiches (ranging from prime rib to chicken alfredo), and Alberta beef, along with side dishes like mashed potatoes or roasted corn on the cob.

The location will be taken over by the Greek eatery Souvlaki and Co. 

Seafood still around

One block away on the other side of Thurlow Street, Daily Catch Seafood closed at 1148 Davie Street.

However, not far away is their English Bay location at 1059 Denman Street, which began serving food to take-out or eat-in, such as fish 'n' chips, last year with seating for about 25 patrons.

Their main operation has transferred to their location at 1418 Commercial Drive.

A location at 5910 Berton Avenue at UBC's Wesbrook Village previously shut down.

Their website also sells seafood, as well as soup and sauces, online.

The sustainable seafood retailer did not respond to an interview request from the Georgia Straight.

Previous closures

Another closure was the longrunning Café Luxy at 1235 Davie Street. The neighbourhood Italian restaurant was replaced by Davie Dosa Company, which specializes in South Indian cuisine and opened in October.

Prior to that changeover, Village restaurant closed down in July. It had originally launched in 2015 as Lips Resto before it underwent a relaunch.

Hamburger Mary's relaunched in 2016 after a $1-million makeover after controversies that resulted in a lawsuit from employees laidoff during its renovations. It is currently closed with a sign indicating it will eventually relaunch.