Richmond has a vibrant business community and many business-related stories were featured in the Richmond News in 2023.
From a dumpling competition in a popular food court to parking lot disputes at a busy strip mall, from the rise of Little Red Book influencers to our new The Lineup column, below are some of the top stories we've selected to give a look back at what went on in the business community in Richmond this year.
1. Richmond restaurant struggling after ex-employee opens similar eatery in same food court
Tina Tan, owner of a Shanghai cuisine restaurant at Admiralty Centre food court, accused her former employee of being "unethical" by opening a restaurant in the same food court, and selling similar dishes including the Shanghai signature dish Xiaolongbao. However, her former employee said she didn't break any rules and it was fair competition. The story sparked discussions over the necessity and feasibility of non-competitive clauses in food courts.
2. The Lineup Column
The Lineup column, launched in 2023, features restaurants that have the longest lineups or are hidden gems in Richmond, and the stories behind them.
Whether it's the longest-standing bubble tea shop in Richmond, the sweet soup that satisfies Richmondites' late-night guilty sweet tooth, the authentic basic breakfast provided by returned immigrants or the Hot Dry Noodles that stir up Wuhanese nostalgia, the stories show how different generations of immigrant entrepreneurs established themselves in Richmond and helped make the city the North American hub of Asian dining.
3. Tension escalates in Richmond strip mall over parking lot dispute
The lack of parking lots in a busy Richmond strip mall escalated and moved in a violent direction. A pizza shop owner was irritated with the cars parked in her parking lot by customers of the neighbouring barbecue restaurant, but the staff at the barbecue restaurant were frustrated with the pizza shop owner's aggressive behaviour. And their neighbours took different stands on the issue.
4. Little Red Book brings in young Richmond customers, gives rise to influencers
Some Richmond shops all of a sudden saw a rise in visits from new young customers, or some experienced a drop in customers, and behind all this was the Chinese social media app, Little Red Book. More and more people today rely on the app to decide where to eat and shop in Richmond and it has also created a new community of Little Red Book influencers, people who go to shops and restaurants in the city and write reviews.
5. Business owners want to put ‘forgotten’ mall back on Richmond map
At the corner of Cambie and Garden City roads sits a three-storey shopping mall - Pacific Plaza. Although it’s down the street from the busy Continental Shopping Centre and a block away from Aberdeen Centre and President Plaza, its quietness is in sharp contrast with these other malls and this is for a variety of reasons. However, the new strata council is working with business owners to turn it into a city landmark.
6. Surging property taxes ‘the last straw’ for struggling Richmond business
2023 was a tough year for many businesses in Richmond with inflation, surging operational costs and province-wide labour shortages. Jade Marble & Granite, a family-run business, was four months behind on his payroll and the surging property taxes used up his last resources. And he was not alone. Other business owners in the same strata complex at 12671 Bathgate Way also saw their property taxes surge by an unusual 60 per cent or so.
