6 months after a devastating fire, beloved Ovaltine Cafe reopens thanks to community support

Vancouver's Ovaltine Cafe reopened on Friday, six months after suspected arson shuttered the beloved Downtown Eastside institution.

Grace Chen, who co-owns the cafwith her daughter Rachel, said the no-frills spot wouldn't have survived without the support of the community, which raised more than $20,000 for permits, repairs and renovations.

In addition to money, many volunteered their time and labour to restore the caf.

"They always say, 'Grace, you need help, I'll give you a hand,'" said Chen from inside the cafon Friday. "That's family you feel really, really warm."

The Ovaltine Cafe, first opened in 1942, is one of few low-cost restaurants in the Downtown Eastside one of Canada's poorest neighbourhoods where a disproportionately large number of people are homeless, living with mental health challenges, and getting by on fixed incomes.

WATCH | Inside the Ovaltine Cafe:

Ovaltine Cafe owners on what serving the Downtown Eastside means to them

1 year ago

Duration 0:54

Mother-daughter co-owners, Grace and Rachel Chen, say they are determined to rebuild their business after a fire shuttered their diner.

Chen and her daughter bought thecafa decade ago, hiring many community members and new immigrants looking for low-barrier work in the neighbourhood.

Customers coming for lunch on Friday said their first tasteof favourite dishes meatloaf, a warm plate of liver and onions or even an unwieldy bacon mushroom cheeseburger since May was emotional.

"It's beautiful, it's just like coming home," said Gail Samuels, who cradled a cup of coffee at a wooden booth.

Makeda Martin, a longtime supporter who runs the nearby non-profit Mama Bear's Kitchen, shared the sentiment.

"To be able to come down and have a fresh brewed pot of coffee and real hash brown potatoes that aren't frozen previously, it's just like that taste of home," she said.

Susie Q, 59, has lived in the Downtown Eastside since she was 16and ate breakfast at the Ovaltine every morning for several years.

"The prices are good, and the people who serve are good, and she's willing to help the community," she said Friday.

"And if people are short 20 cents, a couple dollars, she'll give them credit and let them go."

Ben Ger, a volunteer with the Vancouver Tenants union who sat with Martin and Q, said the cafis a central social space in a neighbourhood facing rapid gentrification.

"It's one of the last remaining accessible spaces in the neighbourhood where things are cheap, things are good," Ger said. "You know the people around, you know who's cooking your food, and I think everyone is really happy to see it back."

Challenges ahead

Chen said she was initially hesitant to accept donations from people without much to spare themselves, but is grateful for the community's support. It's characteristic of the generosity customers have shown her over the years, she said.

But between hugs and "hellos"from patrons returning on Friday, Chen said the cafis still facing challenges.

Food costs have only gone up since May, and the cafis trying to hire more staff so that it can open for longer hours, she said.

Raising prices, however, isn't on the menu, according to Chen.

"If prices go up, for sure we can make money," she said, "But right now, we're thinking, 'People helped us, we want to give back, so we help each other.'"

The one ingredient they do need to stay afloat? More customers, said Chen.

"I love this street so I just want to show people the Downtown Eastside. The people are nice and warm."