Bye bye banh mi

Trendy Dallas sandwich shop shuts down banh mi party for SMU crowd

You have one more day to get this sandwich.

Photo courtesy of Yum! Brands

The banh mi landscape in Dallas is about to take a hit: Banh Shop, the fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant on SMU Boulevard, will close on January 28. In real time, that gives fans 24 hours to get their last fix.

Banh Shop is the concept that was developed by a team that included Dallas-based consultant Mark Brezinski and Dallas restaurateurs Braden and Yasmin Wages, owners of Malai Kitchen in West Village.

Envisioned as an upscale Southeast Asian street stall market, it's named for the banh mi, the sandwich that has become a trendy dish at all kinds of restaurants, not just Asian. The banh mi sandwich comes on a French baguette and is filled with meats and pickled vegetables.

At Banh Shop, filling options include steak, pork meatball, chicken, and an especially succulent tofu. The menu also offers Americanized sandwiches such as steak and egg, plus salads, soups, and wok-fired bowls.

Banh Shop was originally developed in 2014 for Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut. The SMU branch opened in September in a former auto repair shop which was given a thorough makeover. The DFW Airport outlet opened two months later.

Spokesman Rick VanWarner says that the closure is due to a shift in ownership.

"Banh Shop was previously a project of Yum! Brands, and they remain an investor," VanWarner says. "But the rights to the concept were acquired by an investment group, and the location near SMU was not part of the transaction."

According to VanWarner the majority stake has been sold to a Dallas-based investment group.

The DFW Airport branch, located in Terminal D near Gate D10, remains open. "Banh Shop is not going away, and future openings will be a mix of all kinds of locations," he says.

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Editor's note: Two big closures rocked the Dallas restaurant and bar scene this week. There was also an intriguing home for sale on Dallas' ritziest road, a new barbecue joint with an unusual focus, and more. Here's a look back at the top stories of the week. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Those are here.

1. Dallas bar closes after surviving a decade in Deep Ellum. A Dallas bar that opened 10 years ago in Deep Ellum has closed its doors: On Premise, which rode a decade-long wave in the often-turbulent neighborhood, closed on October 31.

2. Authentic upscale Mexican restaurant at Turtle Creek Dallas closes. In major bummer Dallas restaurant news, authentic Mexican restaurant Jalisco Norte has closed: The upscale restaurant and bar at Turtle Creek Village clocked out after seven years.

3. Dallas and Austin are facing the same kind of housing issues. The state’s housing crisis is effectively a new problem for state and local leaders — mainly because, for the longest time, Texas used to be cheap. "YIMBY" activists in Dallas have pushed local leaders, with mixed results, to embrace the idea that the country’s ninth-largest city should make it easier to build homes besides standalone single-family homes on large lots and big apartment buildings.

4. 50s Dallas home for sale on swanky Strait Lane still has pink bathroom. A house on Dallas' Strait Lane that is possibly home to the last '50s-era pink bathroom on the tony thoroughfare is up for sale. The bathroom's days are probably numbered — but maybe in this one case, it's not a bad thing.

5. Barbecue spot Kafi BBQ coming to Irving will be smoking halal Wagyu. A barbecue restaurant with an unusual focus is coming to Irving: Kafi BBQ, which specializes in halal Wagyu beef, will open at 8140 N. MacArthur Blvd. #100, Valley Ranch, in the former Rafikiz Bar and Grill.