I remember the old Aristocratic Restaurant. When I first moved out of the home I grew up in, I was 19. In those days it wasn’t such a crazy thing to do – rents were much lower than they are now – and I found myself in a studio in South Granville. After the late shift as a rink rat at UBC, I’d take the 9 down broadway and get off at Granville where it ended its run. I’d walk behind the Aristocratic up to 10th and head on up to the Bread Garden at 13th for the Broccoli Cheddar pot pie (I was vegetarian at the time).
This shot is already dated, as you can see the old RBC building on the northeast corner (which no longer exists there). But when Chapters arrived at Broadway and Granville, they preserved the Aristocratic’s old sign in homage and displayed it in the front window. It was there for a good long while (I don’t know if it still is).