Another day, another restaurant closure.
Cordova Bay Village’s Beach House Restaurant shut down on Sunday (Aug. 27) as the land it sits on is up for sale.
Formerly known as McMorran’s, named after the family that ran the business, the Beach House has been a Saanich landmark and a popular Greater Victoria destination since it first opened as an ice cream stand and general store in the 1920s.
Today, the restaurant occupies two side-by-side oceanfront lots at 5105 and 5109 Cordova Bay Rd. – listed for a total of $5.5 million.
According to the listing, most of the Beach House sits on the northern lot zoned for residential use, while the rest resides on the southern lot zoned for commercial use. Together the properties cover 16,732 square feet and have 10 onsite parking spaces.
The closure came with a message on the restaurant’s website giving details on what patrons with existing gift cards should do.
The closure also follows a recent run of restaurant closures, including the recent end to La Taqueria on Fort Street in downtown Victoria.
Other restaurant closures include Agrius, as well as Saveur, a high-end eatery that was once listed as one of the most romantic in Canada by Open Table.
When McMorran’s ultimately closed its doors in 2010, Kate Phoenix purchased the vacant building and nearby lots. After extensive renovations, including a new roof and repairs to the foundation, Phoenix opened the Beach House in 2012.
“With 55 staff employed, many private events booked and strong relationships with several local suppliers, we gave careful consideration to all of our commitments,” Phoenix told the Saanich News in an email back in January 2023.
Real estate listing agent Glynis MacLeod told the Saanich News earlier this year that there’s been some interest since the Beach House listing came out.
“Some have expressed interest in using the buildings as a restaurant,” MacLeod said. “Others are real estate developers or are interested in commercial use.”
The second listing for four lots on the opposite side of Cordova Bay Road is being marketed as a development site through William Wright Commercial Real Estate Services at $9.9 million. MacLeod said it had been decided to use a commercial real estate company as a way to maximize market exposure.
That listing covers three undeveloped adjacent lots at 5090, 5094 and 5098 Cordova Bay Rd., as well as a fourth lot with a house at 985 Abbey Rd.
READ MORE: ‘Adored’: Victoria restaurant named as one of Canada’s most romantic now closing forever