The luxurious Holts Cafe, which opened a mere 15 months ago, is not long for this world. Chase Hospitality Group and Holt Renfrew have just announced a “national culinary partnership” to open iterations of Toronto’s Colette Grand Cafe in five Holts locations across Canada, including the one in downtown Vancouver.

Colette first opened in 2014 on Toronto’s Wellington Street West. Here’s an excerpt of what Globe food writer Chris Nuttall-Smith wrote of it back then:

With their new spot, the partners have once again tried to do something familiar, but different. In a city that’s lousy with decent to very good Parisian or Lyonnais-style bistros, they’ve focused on the sort of breezy seashore cooking you find farther south, in Nice and along the Côte D’Azur. So while they’ve got a few of the expected rib-sticking bistro standards – expect a cassoulet and boeuf braisé once the weather turns – Colette’s menu is filled with herb pistous, complexly delicious vegetable fricasses, Provençale soups and an exquisite take on pan bagnat, a sort of salade Niçoise that’s served on toasts.

It certainly sounds good, and those behind the kitchen machinations of Chase Hospitality Group have good reputations. The company’s Culinary Director, Tyler Shedden, is a BC boy, having been raised on Quadra Island before going on to toil for Gordon Ramsay and Daniel Boulud. Its Corporate Chef, Luke Kennedy, is no stranger to the West Coast either, having worked for several years at “C” Restaurant during its early 2000s heyday, when Shedden was there too.

Known for its French-inspired, sumptuous interiors and well-heeled clientele, Colette should be a good fit for the high-end retailer (which would evidently bid its shoppers never to leave its premises, not even to eat). Clearly, as these images from Colette’s website reveal, beauty is a test she never had to take.

Here’s the full press release:

Today, Chase Hospitality Group and Holt Renfrew announce a national culinary partnership to open Colette Grand Café in five of the luxury retailer’s locations across Canada. Commencing early 2018, the French-inspired restaurant will replace Holts Café in Edmonton, Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto’s Yorkdale and Bloor Street locations.

Inspired by Colette in Toronto, a beloved staple of the city’s upscale dining scene, Colette Grand Café at Holt Renfrew will introduce a chic and sophisticated menu and atmosphere to complement the iconic retailer’s elevated offering.

“Colette Grand Café embodies the French-style and is the perfect fit for Holt Renfrew to offer clientele the full luxury experience,” said Mario Grauso, President, Holt Renfrew. “Well-known for culinary excellence and creating beautifully designed spaces, we are excited to have Chase Hospitality Group restaurants as a valued partner.”

“We are very happy to be partnering with such an iconic luxury brand as Holt Renfrew, and to be expanding Colette Grand Café across Canada,” said Steven Salm, President, Chase Hospitality Group. “The French-inspired aesthetic and menu are a natural fit for the stylish destination and we are so pleased to bring the two together.”

The partnership marks Chase Hospitality Group’s national expansion, just weeks after the group announced 100% plant-based restaurant, Planta, is expanding to Miami in Spring 2018. Earlier this fall, Chase Hospitality Group launched two new restaurant concepts in Toronto, Planta Burger and Palm Lane.

Colette Grand Café menus and décor will be introduced in Holt Renfrew Edmonton, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto Yorkdale and Toronto Bloor Street locations in 2018.

For more information visit www.colettegrandcafe.com.

Holts Cafe remains open at the time of writing this morning, the date of its closure remaining undisclosed. We expect it will shutter soon, however, as Colette is aiming to serve its first customers before the winter is through. We have no reason to believe the new restaurant will deviate from Holts’ 80-seat, 1,750 sqft footprint. More soon.

Colette Grand Cafe

Neighbourhood: Downtown

737 Dunsmuir St.

WEBSITE