Closing time.

Banzai Sushi on North Lamar is closing January 3rd.

I think maybe I ate there once: I really can’t remember. What I find more notable is that they’re apparently closing so that the new Rudy’s location can go in (replacing both Banzai and EZ’s).

Sullivan’s Steakhouse is closing January 9th. We went there once for a birthday dinner. Once. When I get time, I’ll put up the old review (I have the file, I just need to get it off my phone and upload it), but suffice it to say we were very unimpressed with the food and the prices, never went back, and never had any desire to go back. (Edited to add: the old review is up now.)

Not really Austin related, but since I’ve blogged about it in the past: Guy Fieri’s place is closing. Which raises some interesting questions: among them, who or what is going to take it over? That’s supposedly a massive space. And with all the sexual harassment scandals recently in the NYC restaurant industry, who’s left standing that could take it over?

Edited to add: Forgot that I wanted to blog this, too:

All told, Miller, who owns three Subway franchises in Northern California, says it costs him well over $4 to produce one of Subway’s foot-long subs. And that is why, when the chain announced plans to drop the price of the sandwich to $4.99 starting in January, he and hundreds of Subway’s other 10,000 U.S. franchisees sent a strongly worded letter warning that the promotion could force some stores to close.

…

In California, where the minimum wage will be $11 per hour starting Jan. 1, Miller’s labor costs are up 50 percent from 10 years ago, he said. The cost of a full-price sub has risen only 20 percent.

Two things about this:

1) The effective minimum wage is zero.
2) I’m sad when anyone’s business closes. But in my opinion, there are just too damn many Subway restaurants (specifically), and too much competition from other, better sandwich chains. I think the market is way overdue for a contraction.