Overview
In a piece of bad news for people who like good food on the cheap, the future of Lentil as Anything in Abbotsford appears to be in doubt. The operators of the beloved pay-what-you-feel vegetarian restaurant broke the bad news last week, after their landlords at the historic Abbotsford Convent began advertising for expressions of interest for the Lentil as Anything space.
According to a statement on the Lentil as Anything homepage, the restaurant received notice from the Abbotsford Convent Foundation (ACF) that it would be undergoing a "request for proposal" process for the location, which Lentil as Anything has occupied for the past 11 years. The application process will be open until November 20, before a tenant is selected from a shortlist of candidates. Assuming Lentil as Anything is unable to compete with opposing bids, their lease could be terminated as early as December.
Representatives from Lentil as Anything have launched an online petition to help save their Abbotsford premises, and have already racked up more than 4200 signatures. According to their website, they hope that the ACF board will take into account the feelings of the community when making their decision, although there appear to be no official channels for the public to make their voices heard.
In addition to their iconic Abbotsford location, the Lentil as Anything team operate restaurants in St Kilda, Footscray, Preston, Thornbury and Sydney. Their community-minded philosophy and unique payment method has made them popular with many locals. However, the Abbotsford site did previously report that it was operating at a loss, with many customers choosing not to pay for their food at all. This is why we can't have nice things.
See the online petition at Change.org. Image: Lentil as Anything, Preston.