You know you’re onto something pretty darn sweet when you have actor Seth Rogen and celebrity food icon, David Chang, singing your praises on social media. That was the case for the team at Lee’s Donuts when, in January 2019, the duo stopped by the iconic donut shop to try out the legendary sweet treats.
Lee’s Donuts has been serving up handmade donuts from their 500 square foot counter in the Granville Island Public Market since 1979. The old space certainly was charming, but by 2018 it was time for a facelift. New owners Allan and Celine Bacani wanted to keep some of the retro vibes that the classic counter was known for, but they also wanted the new shop to be fresh, modern, and improved to help them keep up with the massive public demand for donuts.
We worked with the team at Haeccity Studio Architecture to design and construct the revitalized donut shop. The design was heavily influenced by the Lee’s Donuts brand, font and logo. We then found modern material choices to bring it to life in a fresh way that still fit the public market environment. Bright, glossy laminate in the brand’s colours provided the perfect backdrop. We constructed the counter top using Chop Value’s sustainably produced material made out of recycled chopsticks. A modern choice and a great conversation starter with locals and tourists alike!
Improving the functionality of the kitchen was the other key component of this renovation project. The Haeccity team spent a lot of time in the space watching how the Lee’s Donuts crew physically moved around on a daily basis. From here they were able to understand ways to optimize the layout and make their donut making process more streamlined in the small space. We kept things as flexible as possible so things could be moved around as needed.
We’ve done a few projects now where we’ve had to renovate a section of a building that’s open to the public, including Match Eatery and Paragon Tea Room. Projects like these definitely come with some unique challenges. In this case, our team did the entire demolition in one overnight shift. We got to work as soon as everyone else closed up shop for the evening, removing all of the old equipment and getting it into storage, and tearing down the unit. We then had to get all of the hoarding up so the space was closed up and presentable for business hours the next day. Throughout the entire month and a half long construction project we worked around operating hours to ensure that tenants and market guests were not disrupted by any of the required construction.
The shiny new Lee’s Donuts is open for business in the Granville Island Public Market. Swing by and grab a box (or two, or three even) of your favourite flavours – you won’t be disappointed!
Photos: Barrie Underhill, Upper Left Photography
