One of Commercial Drive’s icons, which has been around since the 1970s, is closing.
Jose “Joe” Antunes started working at 1150 Commercial Dr. in 1976 and thus was born Joe’s Cafe, one of the oldest cafes in Vancouver.
Later this fall, months after his retirement and decades after he opened it with his brother Tony, it will end.
A cafe and billiards hall run by Joe (a former bullfighter) and Tony (both from Portugal). The cafe (originally known as Continent Billiards) served East Vancouver notables for decades.
Joe and Tony retired earlier this year and although it was initially announced that the shop would continue without its namesake, a social media post confirmed the long-standing cafe’s closure in October.
Joe’s Café has long been a popular hangout in the Commercial Drive area and has been home to many well-known names over the years, including Sarah Maclachlan and Colin James before they became famous.
Some of the creative people who lived in the area even incorporated it into their work. Vancouver rockers The Ludwigs wrote “Indecent at Joe’s Cafe” and “On Life and Death at Joe’s Cafe” was written by Wyckham Porteous.
A specific date for the closure has not yet been announced. Currently, the times given are Wednesday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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