Denny’s Restaurant is moving down Douglas Street, where it’ll share space with a bar-style eatery set to open its very first Vancouver Island location.
Denny’s Victoria general manager, Deo Smith, says the move “is a very exciting change for us,” especially because their current location at 3100 Douglas St. has been around for decades.
“This building that we’re in now is the oldest Denny’s in the entire country. This building has been here for over 50 years, and when something becomes that age it becomes very difficult to maintain,” said Smith.
“We’re excited about new equipment, a new environment.”
Currently the diner-style Denny’s is across from Mayfair Shopping Centre, but this fall it’s relocating about a block south to the former Shark Club Grill at the Sandman Hotel Victoria at 2852 Douglas St.
The Shark Club closed last October after 19 years in business. The adjacent liquor store is still open.
“That is the tentative plan, yes,” said Smith, as a post on the Sandman website notes that the Denny’s is “coming soon.”
However, an official opening date is “kind of up in the air” right now.
“Because, obviously, we have to wait for the construction crews to finish, and you never know what kind of hiccups they could come across as they continue their work, right?” said Smith. “They could open up a wall, there could be some plumbing issues, there could be just anything.”
But it won’t just be a Denny’s.
“It’s going to actually be a Denny’s and a Bar One. It will be like two restaurants in one,” explained Smith. “This will have a covered patio as well, and because it’s covered we could probably get some heaters in there and run it year-round.”
Bar One has 13 locations across western Canada, including in B.C. and Alberta, and this will be the first one on the Island.
The move for Denny’s comes after Jim Pattison Developments purchased the site of the restaurant and its parking lot, at the corner of Douglas and Finlayson streets, on Aug. 17, 2020, with plans for redevelopment.
“Jim Pattison Developments Ltd. owns the property where the current Denny’s is located and will be looking (to) redevelop this property in the future, but our timing has not been determined yet,” added Michael Lee, Jim Pattison Developments’ senior vice president.
Denny’s, an American restaurant chain, was founded in 1953 and operates more than 1,700 restaurants, including two on the Island in Victoria and Colwood.
READ ALSO: Victoria’s Shark Club to close after 19 years in business
Ethan Morneau
