The GOODS from Lukes General Store

Vancouver, BC | Lukes is excited to announce that it will be offering an all new lunch service focused on serving high quality menu items from The Acorn, Vancouver’s top vegan/vegetarian restaurant. PICNIC is launching exclusively out of Lukes’ Gastown location, which is currently the city’s only supplier of world-renowned Four Barrel coffee, as well as a host of other high quality food and grocery items. Lukes has been successfully running its Vancouver location for over a year, and the addition of this food program is the logical next step for the family-owned national group. “Our café customers were looking for a lunch option; something healthy and delicious. We’ve been cautious about launching something, because it was important to us that the supplier was the right fit” says Lukes owner, Gareth Lukes. “The Acorn is fearlessly dedicated to being both creative, ethical, and of course tasty.”

The Acorn has become widely known for creating some of the freshest and most creative seasonal vegetables dishes in Vancouver. Over the three years since opening its doors, The Acorn has won National awards and has been featured in The New York Times, Huffington Post, CNN, and The Daily Meal, the latter two naming it among the best vegetarian restaurants in the world.

The launch of PICNIC at Lukes is a furthering of the Acorn’s ethos of using only the highest quality market ingredients without any mysterious chemicals or preservatives, and making everything from scratch. Similar to The Acorn, PICNIC will be adapting its offerings seasonally to match what is most readily available from local farmers. Sample items include two feature sandwiches: one Vegetarian option (Smoked White Cheddar, Tomato Jam, Arugula Pesto, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Red Pepper, Portobello Mushroom on Rosemary Foccacia) and a second, Vegan option (Arugula Macadamia Nut Cheese, Pepperade, Roasted Eggplant, Spinach, Pickled Red Onion, Balsamic Glazed King Oyster Mushrooms on Black Olive Focaccia). Made daily in-house at The Acorn, all items will arrive at Lukes just in time for the lunch rush.

To officially launch the menu, Lukes will be hosting a party on Friday December 11th from 5pm till 8pm. Samples of all of the food offerings from The Acorn will be served, as well as beer curated by Copper And Theory. The first beer on offer will be an Espresso Milk stout by Machine Ales using Four Barrel Cold Brew, made in-house by Lukes Vancouver. The second beer will be the interesting yet easy to drink Ninkasi Lux Lager. In addition to food and drink, DJs Trevor Risk (Sunshine/ Love at the Fox) as well as DJs Adam Fink and Bryan Sea (Common People Collective/ Guilty Pleasures) will be playing everyone’s favourite hits.

The first hour of the launch will be reserved for press, neighbours and friends/family. RSVP: veronika [at] lukesdrugmart.com.

Details

49 West Hastings St, Vancouver BC
Open 7 days a week
Web: www.lukesgeneralstore.ca | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GALLERY

The People Who Make It Happen

Owner: Gareth Lukes
Operations Manager: Laura Cummings

About Lukes General Store

Lukes General Store was started as a pop-up shop branch of the family owned and operated Lukes Drug Mart which has been based in the community of Bridgeland, Calgary since 1951. Owner Garath Lukes has been committed to continuing his family’s legacy of bringing quality service and products to surrounding communities and the Vancouver location is no exception.

Lukes has tailored the 49 West Hastings location with a number of interesting features that fit perfectly within the lofty two-storey space:

– A large scale analog light clock called ‘Chronograph’, installed by Calgary-based arts organization Wreck City Collective.

– A cafe serving Four Barrel Coffee, an independent roaster based in San Francisco’s Mission district. Served in culinary establishments such as Tartine, Four Barrel is well known for quality beans and well trained, knowledgable baristas. Lukes General Store baristas are held to the same high standard.

– A boutique record store containing a broad but well curated vinyl section (overseen by Shaun Cowan formerly of Scratch Records), headphones, audio equipment and more.

In addition to these unique store features, Lukes will carry a selection of carefully chosen home, apothecary and grocery items such as: Cartems Doughnuts, Beast and Brine Meats, farm direct organic apples from The Okanagan, The Farmhouse (natural cheeses and dairy), Mast Brothers Chocolate, Malin + Goetz Apothecary, Baxter of California Shaving, Otter Wax (leather and fabric Care), The Laundress, Pendleton Home Collection, Jungmaven, Sugo Sauce, Millifera Bees honey Club-Mate (German version of redbull but healthier, made with Yerba Mate), Bread from Nelson the Seagull, Johnstons of Elgin scarves (made in Scotland), Bread & Boxers (basics for men) and much more.

“Lukes is staying true to the general store ethos, we’re selling high quality goods that meet your daily needs”, says dry goods manager Veronika Rezucha. “Drop in, grab a coffee, browse some vinyl, fill your grocery bag and soak in a great atmosphere. It’s an elevated convenience store experience.”

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