Over the last 20 years, plant-based diets have become increasingly popular among Canadians, with roughly 5% of the country’s population identifying as vegan in 2020. At the same time, the vegan dining scene in Vancouver — western Canada’s largest city — has also grown rapidly. This article mapped the development of vegan eateries in and around Vancouver from 2005 to 2024, identifying market trends and opportunities for growth.

The author collected data such as opening year, active or closed status, closing year (if relevant), location, and type (such as café, restaurant, or bakery). They documented three main phases of growth:

1. 2005 to 2009: The first phase saw the launch of five eateries, including two that developed out of organic stores.

2. 2010 to 2019: The second phase saw 28 new or converted-to-vegan eateries able to make use of new vegan products such as burger patties and dairy-free cheese. The author identified 2011, 2015, and 2018 as key years for growth, citing a survey showing that the number of self-identified vegans in Canada grew by 84% between 2018 and 2020. The number of eateries founded by women, particularly bakeries, also increased in this decade.

3. 2020 to 2024: The third phase has been characterized by conceptual innovations amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall Canadian economy and food industry. Although 37 vegan eateries opened during this time, close to a quarter (24%) of those would eventually close, with closures exceeding openings in 2023 and 2024. Despite this, eateries in the region have innovated with offerings such as vegan bubble tea, vegan pressed sushi, food trucks, and a rabbit adoption café. Upscale vegan restaurants have also gained recognition in the MICHELIN guide.

Focusing on location, the author found that Vancouver housed 81% of the region’s 58 active vegan eateries. Although North Vancouver was the second largest market, with three active eateries, it also had the largest proportion of closures by location, with five out of nine eateries closing since 2020. The author speculated that increased gas prices and traffic congestion are keeping visitors away. However, the population of the region is expected to grow to 3.2 million by 2030, potentially creating larger markets.

Analyzing which eateries stayed active and which closed down, the author found that bakeries had the fewest closures, followed by take-out venues and food trucks. They suggested an increase in vegan food trucks since 2020 represents business owners prioritizing flexibility and lower risk. Restaurants were most likely to close, with 19 closing over the last 20 years, followed by cafés with 12 closing over the same time period. The author cited data showing that Canada’s overall restaurant sector has been under strain since 2020, with 62% of restaurants operating at or near a loss compared to 10% pre-pandemic. Despite this, restaurants and cafés still comprised the two largest categories of active eateries as of September 2024.

The author identified opportunities for future growth, suggesting that:

• Eateries could set up franchises, particularly in high-traffic areas with less competition;
• Eateries could attract customers by offering free events, such as cooking classes or nutrition workshops;
• New technologies such as ordering kiosks could be used to reduce operational costs; and
• Vegan businesses could reduce ingredient costs by using enterprise resource planning software to operate a collective ingredient buying network.

The article provides the survey data for others to explore, though the author acknowledges that the information might not be entirely complete or accurate. Overall, however, the results showed that Vancouver’s vegan dining scene expanded rapidly in the 2010s and remains resilient and innovative in the face of challenging economic conditions. Vegan advocates in the region could also use this study’s data to contact eatery owners to organize educational or cooking events.