When three food businesses in a Richmond plaza were forced to shut down over sewage contamination last month, two of them bounced back within days.
The third didn’t reopen for weeks and now we know it won’t ever.
YGF Malatang on Ackroyd Road in Richmond has permanently closed after 6 years.
The sign has been taken down from the storefront and the closure order that had been posted on the front door is now gone.
We first reported the situation back in February when Vancouver Coastal Health ordered three businesses at the plaza to close on February 10 due to sewage contamination.
The closures were issued under Section 17 of the BC Food Premises Regulation, requiring each business to repair the sewage issue, clean and disinfect all kitchen areas, and pass a re-inspection before reopening.
Big Way Hot Pot and the dim sum restaurant in the same plaza were able to reopen within days.
YGF did not.
Weeks passed with no sign of activity at the unit.
We walked by the location today and confirmed that the YGF signage has been completely removed from the building.
Several users on Red Note have shared that the business has been sold to a new operator.
On Google, the location is also now tagged as permanently closed.
It is not yet clear what will replace it.
The Ackroyd Road location was the last remaining YGF Malatang operating under that name in the region.
Other locations in the area have either shut down or rebranded in recent years.
YGF Malatang, also known by its Chinese name Yang Guo Fu (杨国福麻辣烫), is one of the largest malatang chains in the world with thousands of franchise locations globally.
The concept lets customers pick their own ingredients from a display, which are then cooked in a broth and served as a hot soup bowl.
Despite the global scale of the brand, the Metro Vancouver franchise locations have struggled, whereas similar concepts like Big Way have continued to flourish.
In fact, Big Way is looking to open their third Richmond location this year at CF Richmond Centre.
It is unclear whether the sewage issue was the sole reason YGF did not reopen, or whether other factors like lease terms or business performance played a role.
What is clear is that the space is now changing hands.
YGF Malatang Richmond now joins other recently closed food spots in Richmond like Little Karp, MACU Tea and Manzo Izakaya.
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Address: 8100 Ackroyd Rd, Richmond, BC