Pier Investments Inc. principals Daryle Nagata and Paul Puratich have ditched plans to open a restaurant named Café Delilah at 1789 Comox Street, where a similarly named restaurant operated for 15 years before closing in 2010.
Their decision follows former Delilah’s Restaurant and Bar owner Daniel Frankel launching a lawsuit July 31 against Pier Investments in British Columbia Supreme Court.
Nagata told Business in Vancouver that he and Puratich’s decision to abandon the name Café Delilah’s was not directly tied to the lawsuit nor was it part of an out-of-court settlement.
“I wouldn’t discuss legal things with anybody over the phone,” Nagata said.
He has not filed a response to the notice of civil claim.
“It’s not official what we will call the restaurant. We’re waiting for the registration of the name to come through,” Nagata told Business in Vancouver.
The signage at the location is currently blacked out under the word “Café.”
Frankel’s Tap and Barrel Restaurants Ltd. alleges in its notice of civil claim that Pier Investments was attempting to pass itself off as being somehow related to the former Delilah’s Restaurant and Bar, which operated for 10 years at the Buchan Hotel on Haro Street before it relocated to 1789 Comox Street in 1995.
Nagata said that he, Puratich and a silent partner have pumped about $200,000 into renovating the location, which will house about 85 seats plus 10 seats at a bar.
“We’re looking at opening August 15,” he said. “It’s not a coffeehouse but it’s a casual place. We’ll have à-la-cartes and a lot of different things, including brunch and afternoon tea.”
Frankel’s Daniel Group, meanwhile, operates five restaurants including the Tap and Barrel in the former Olympic Village. He is about to open his second Tap and Barrel, in the Vancouver Convention Centre. His group also operates the Stanley Park Pavilion venue and the Stanley Park trading post gift shop.
