BURST
Uncertainty surrounding the opening date for a glitzy new food court at the massive Oakridge Park development is making it a challenge to prepare for operations, some tenants say.
The Time Out Market is an elevated, 50,000-sq.-ft. food court and a key part of the mixed-use project, one of the largest in the city’s history, that includes a mall, residential towers, office space and a public park. Time Out Market is expected to include 18 kitchens, a coffee counter and a dessert offering, and more than 1,000 seats. The new dining space is also slated to include three bars and an outdoor terrace.
High-profile names from Vancouver’s food scene, such as Rob Feenie, The Lunch Lady and DownLow Chicken, are among the confirmed tenants of the dining space, which is set to open sometime this spring.
Two Time Out Market tenants, speaking to Postmedia on the condition of anonymity due to signing a non-disclosure agreement with the market, said they are preparing for an internally shared opening date of May 28.
But one of the two tenants is not convinced that things will be ready by then.
Time Out Market has reportedly been “handed possession” of the space within the development, but construction of the rest of Oakridge Park remains incomplete, the restaurateur noted.
“Time Out Market was not prepared to open the food court until the retailers moved in and Oakridge Park was prepared to fully open,” they said. “They want the mall to be fully operational, construction complete, with parking available and no loud disturbances.”
Any postponements to the opening date would affect their hiring and training, the restaurateur said, as they need at least two months advance notice to properly train staff and negotiate with farmers and ingredient suppliers. They also still need to create menu brochures and signage to be approved by the development team.
The second Time Out Market tenant seemed less worried and said things were “looking great” for a May 28 opening date.
The chef said they require about a month of preparation time, adding they had “anticipated some delays and prepared for them right from the beginning” due to the scale of the Oakridge project.
“Generally, for a project of this magnitude, I need to begin hiring staff at least a month in advance to ensure everyone is fully trained. Sourcing and ordering ingredients usually happens shortly after the team is in place, just before opening,” they said. “Things are looking great on my end. We have received our key dates and are fully prepared and ready for when that time comes.”
When reached for comment regarding the suggested May 28 opening date and any possible delays, a Time Out Market spokesperson said they could not confirm an opening date or any other details at this time, other than to say it will be sometime this spring, which lasts until June 20.
Project announcements have been overshadowed by the development timeline, which has been mired in delays and setbacks .
The news that a Time Out Market would join the mixed-use development was announced in 2022. Then a splashy list of luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Brunello Cucinelli, Moncler, Versace and others, were announced as part of an initial list of retail tenants in February 2024.
The first phase of the multi-billion-dollar development, which takes up roughly eight city blocks at the intersection of Cambie Street and West 41st Avenue, was originally slated to open in spring 2025, a completion date that was later pushed back until fall 2025.
Then last October, QuadReal Property Group, which took over the development from Westbank, revised the opening date, shifting it to spring 2026. In January, QuadReal told Postmedia that “construction is progressing as planned” with a majority of the large public park above the mall, Time Out Market food court, and the broader shopping centre on track to open this spring.
A retail centre spokesperson reconfirmed the general spring opening timeline again in an email to Postmedia in March, noting more updates would be shared in the coming weeks. A major luxury fashion tenant confirmed to Postmedia on background that their store is planning to open around late May or early June.
Another Vancouver chef, who turned down an opportunity last year to join the Time Out Market, said they came to that decision due to the shifting timelines, delays and costs.
The chef, who also agreed to talk to Postmedia on the condition of anonymity because of a non-disclosure agreement, said they were approached in February 2025 to join the food court project. At first, the chef was attracted to the Oakridge redevelopment plans as they had seen the multipurpose concepts do “very well” in other markets, including Asia.
But after visiting the mall construction space last summer, the chef got cold feet. The development seemed too far off-track from meeting what was then a scheduled opening in November 2025, the chef said.
“Many businesses and owners consider timing a major factor, and not knowing the completion date concerned me because I had originally planned other projects,” they said. “When I toured the mall, the original expected opening was November, which in my opinion looked impossible.”
The chef said they are at peace with that decision. They pointed to additional factors, including the planned opening hours, rules regarding operation under the Time Out Market banner, and a commission rate — while startup costs are minimal due to finished kitchen utilities within each unit, the fee charged, they said, was comparatively high.
“It did not make sense to me,” the chef said, adding they had heard of two other local chefs who had declined the opportunity due to sharing “the same concerns.”
Despite the delays, the two confirmed Time Out Market tenants said they are happy with their decision to join the food court project, noting the contract allows for confirmed chefs and restaurants to “walk away any time” if they have concerns about their participation.
The restaurateur also pointed to additional benefits such as the market’s expansive marketing budget, which will cover outreach and promotions, and its handling of costs such as the build out, garbage disposal, dishes and more as extra draws.
“If we were to build out, buy the equipment, and pay for marketing, plates, etc., we anticipated it would cost around $400,000 to $500,000. We would also have to factor in the sweat equity,” they said. “So, as restaurateurs, we think this is a wonderful win-win.”
With files from Joanne Lee-Young