The toll of COVID-19 has proven to be too much for a small plant-based restaurant to bear.

Amaranthus, which specializes in vegan and vegetarian fare in New Westminster’s River Market, will close its doors for good on September 6.

The restaurant is helmed by the same team behind El Santo, a modern Mexican restaurant, also in New West. Amaranthus was the first B.C. establishment to have a liquor licence in an open food court/market setting.

But even cocktails in the food court weren’t enough to sustain the business.

After suspending dine-in service at the peak of the pandemic earlier this year, the eatery reopened in June. But “the effects of the pandemic continued to be felt”, according to a release.

“It was a difficult decision to close Amaranthus, but a necessary one given the circumstances,” Amaranthus owner Alejandro Diaz said in the statement. “I would like to thank our employees, suppliers and customers for all of the support that they have given us”.

The restaurant’s employees have been reassigned to new positions at El Santo.

And in brighter news, the team has other plans in the works.

Diaz and Sam Fabbro, chef of El Santo and Amaranthus, will be opening a new restaurant in Coal Harbour later this year. Called NOX, it will serve Italian fare with West Coast flare and an emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients. The two-level dining establishment will be situated in the Cardero building on West Georgia Street that will also be home to And-Co, an office collective and amenities hub.

The forthcoming restaurant takes its name from the Roman version of Nyx, the ancient Greek goddess of the night.