Rent Arrears Shut Down Banh Mi Ba Le 2
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
A longtime Vietnamese staple near Spadina Avenue closes its doors as the city's sandwich scene grows more competitive.
Banh Mi Ba Le 2, a neighborhood fixture located at 538 Dundas St. W., has permanently closed, blogTO reports. The restaurant was a local favorite known for providing affordable Vietnamese fare, including pho, vermicelli soup, and banh mi sandwiches priced around $6 including tax.
According to blogTO, a notice posted on the storefront on Sept. 24 indicated the tenant was served a notice of termination due to unpaid rent arrears. Because the restaurant lacked a social media presence, it has not publicly confirmed the specific details of the closure.
The shutdown occurs during a period of growth for Vietnamese sandwiches in Toronto. blogTO notes the emergence of several other shops, including Viet Bites in Cabbagetown—which is planning a larger location on Eglinton West—as well as Take & Banh Mi, which opened in May. Other active competitors in the city's banh mi market include Rose's Viet Subs, Banh Mi Nana, Viet Sandwich, and Oi Banh Mi.
BlogTO clarified that this closure is unrelated to the Banh Mi Bae Le location in Mississauga, which operates as an independent entity.