Lease hikes and redevelopment have been the usual culprits behind restaurant closures in Metro Vancouver.
But recently, a new trend has been emerging—business owners skipping out on rent entirely.
Xing Fu Tang Cambie and Gastronomy were the most recent cases where tens of thousands of dollars in missed payments led to lease terminations.
And now, Maneki Neko BBQ & Sake Bar in South Granville has officially had its lease terminated, marking yet another food spot shutting down due to unpaid rent.
Facebook user Vin first tipped us in early February that the restaurant’s Google Business listing was marked as permanently closed.
A recent stroll down South Granville confirmed its closure.
But we also found a notice of seizure now plastered on the restaurant’s doors.
For those unfamiliar, Maneki Neko BBQ & Sake Bar was an all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ and sushi spot that opened back in December 2024.
However, many in the Chinese Facebook community speculated that it was simply a rebrand of the former Mr. 2993 Granville BBQ Hot Pot Bar which had a strikingly similar menu.
City of Vancouver business records confirm that Maneki Neko and Mr. 2993 share the same license under 1466850 BC Ltd.
The rebrand may have been an attempt to shake off Mr. 2993’s alleged fake advertising debacle, where they promoted a $48.99 AYCE for Two deal all day but later denied customers, claiming it was only available before 3 PM.
Naturally, that left a lot of diners pissed off.
But now, Maneki Neko’s fate has been sealed—quite literally.
According to the Notice of Seizure posted on its doors, the business owed $171,560.68 in unpaid rent and related fees.
The notice, dated February 1st, gave them five days to pay up before their goods, equipment, and assets could be seized and sold off.
Since we spotted the notice on the doors on February 18, that five-day grace period has long expired, meaning the restaurant’s assets and inventory are now officially in the hands of the property management.
Whether the rebrand was truly an attempt to escape its past reputation or not, Maneki Neko BBQ & Sake Bar didn’t last long.
Its lease termination means yet another failed business in this cursed location, which has now seen multiple different restaurants—all with similar concepts—try and fail to make it work.
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Address: 2993 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6J 2J1