It seems Burnaby has lost another dessert spot, as Sulbing has quietly closed its doors.
After a rocky year, Chicken Plus x Sulbing, which combined two chains by offering Korean fried chicken and Korean shaved ice under one roof, has been replaced by a new sushi and oyster bar (as spotted by community member @morokokoko).
This particular Burnaby location, unlike other standalone Sulbing stores, made waves for all the wrong reasons earlier this year.
In a viral moment that sparked outrage, a Redditor shared a photo of their payment terminal—which had its “no tip” option covered by a strategically placed label, essentially forcing customers to tip.
The picture circulated quickly, causing a storm of backlash across Reddit communities.
Many were outraged at the sneaky approach, calling it unethical, with some even pointing out that this act could potentially be against the payment terminal provider’s terms of service.
CityNews and other local outlets picked up the story, shining a light on the forced gratuity at this Burnaby restaurant, which used cafeteria-style service where diners picked up their own food—making mandatory tipping feel even more ridiculous.
Although some customer reviews state that they’ve removed the sticker after the tipping controversy, the store had another major issue: it simply wasn’t good.
The reviews for this location were consistently terrible, with numerous 1 and 2-star ratings calling out poor customer service and lackluster experiences.
It seems all these factors added up, eventually resulting in its quiet shutdown.
With the closure of this Sulbing, Burnaby is now down two Korean shaved ice shops, following the closure of Sulmida just a few months ago.
For fans of Korean bingsu, there are still options in Metro Vancouver, with Sulbing locations remaining on Robson Street and North Road, but it’s clear that the Kingsway corridor is no longer a haven for these beloved icy desserts.
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Address: 6360 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5E 1C5