One thing that really boils our bubbles are stories of owners withholding payment to their staff.
That’s what has allegedly happened with Sip Bowl La Mian, a longtime shop for hand-pulled noodles.
They seem to have recently quietly closed two of their locations and some serious allegations have now surfaced.
Sip Bowl La Mian first opened its doors in 2019 in Kerrisdale, offering fresh Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles in seven different thickness styles, like hair-thin, chive-on, flat, and more.
The noodles quickly gained a following, leading to an expansion in 2022, with a new outpost opening beside Aberdeen Square in Richmond.
But now, things have taken a turn.
On Chinese social media, people have noticed that the Kerrisdale location has rebranded under a new name: Mr. Shi Noodle House.
Despite the name change, they still offer the same Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles.
Meanwhile, last week we noticed the Richmond outpost has also changed its signage to Triple Six Noodles.
The sudden rebranding hasn’t gone unnoticed, and local online netizens are buzzing with speculation.
Some are claiming that these changes are just a way for the previous owner to continue operating under a new identity.
Allegations have surfaced that the owners of Sip Bowl La Mian had their accounts frozen by the government and had withheld wages from their staff for months.
Comments from previous staff on Chinese social media have mentioned that it has been happening since 2022.
Curious about the situation, we decided to visit the newly rebranded Mr. Shi Noodle House.
We found much of the menu and interior remained unchanged from when it was Sip Bowl La Mian.
We spoke to two individuals close to the matter, who confirmed that there had indeed been issues with the old management.
This includes allegations that the previous owner had international student staff to work beyond the legal 20-hour-per-week limit.
However, a new owner has since taken over and changed to Mr. Shi, though the previous La Mian master chef remains.
This means that Mr. Shi Noodle House has no longer any ties with Sip Bowl La Mian.
When asked about the Richmond outpost, they insisted they are not connected.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of such troubling stories.
Last year, when we reported on the closure of Gram Pancake Cafe, several former employees shared that they had been unpaid thousands of dollars and were forced to work under severely understaffed conditions.
These stories of the owner withholding payment to the staff reveal the darker side of the industry, which the public rarely hears about or sees.
And usually, the victims are unfortunate international students or young adults who are unclear about the labour laws.
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