The lights are off, the doors are chained, and mail is piling up by the entrance.
It does not look good for one of the bigger hot pot restaurants on Robson Street.
Liu Yi Shou along Robson Street in downtown Vancouver, appears to have quietly shut down.
We first noticed something was off last week while walking down Robson Street.
The restaurant had its lights off and its doors chained during what should have been lunch service.
Peeking through the windows, the interior was completely empty.
Tables and booths were still set up, but there was no sign of staff or any recent activity.
We visited the location two more times over the span of a week and found the same thing each time.
The restaurant was closed during both prime lunch hours and the afternoon, with no signage or notice explaining why.
On Google, the location is currently tagged as temporarily closed.
We reached out to Liu Yi Shou through their Red Note account, but did not receive a response.
Mail accumulating by the door suggests the closure has been ongoing issue with payment processors.
This is not the first time this particular location has run into trouble.
We previously reported that Liu Yi Shou on Robson was ordered to temporarily close by Vancouver Coastal Health after receiving six critical health code infractions.
The restaurant did reopen after remedying the issues.
We also spotted the location listed for sale earlier this year, which in hindsight may have been an early signal that things were heading in this direction.
The space is now actively listed for sale on Realtor.ca for $368,000.
The listing describes it as a 3,432 square foot turnkey restaurant with seating for 100 guests, a full commercial kitchen with a 20-foot hood, walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, and 23 exhaust fans at the tables.
It also notes a liquor license that extends until 2 a.m. The listing calls it “ready for immediate operation” and an “ideal setup for hotpot, BBQ, or grill style concepts.”
That confirms the business is done at this location and the space is looking for a new operator.
Liu Yi Shou, also known as Liuyishou, is a well-known hot pot chain originally from Chongqing, China.
The brand operates locations across North America and is known for its Sichuan-style spicy broth and all-you-can-eat format.
The Robson Street outpost opened back in 2016 and has strong online reviews – sitting at 4.7 stars on Google.
The Robson Street stretch in the West End has seen a steady wave of closures in recent months.
Liu Yi Shou now joins other recently closed food spots in the area like Noodle Arts, Pho Q&M, and Handson Steak.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 1542 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C2