The Smokeyard Closes Two of Three Locations, Focuses on The Crib

American-style barbecue restaurant The Smokeyard is closing its Sanlitun but retaining its Tsinghua University outlet, due to "cash flow" issues and an increasing focus on a new project, Xingfu Ercun restaurant incubator The Crib, a Smokeyard representative told the Beijinger Saturday.

Opened just a year ago, The Smokeyard's Nan Sanlitun Jie location put it in a competitive neighborhood, a stone's throw from Home Plate Bar-B-Que, and other established Western food options including The Local and Q Mex. The food was described as "pleasantly unpretentious" during a first visit by former Beijinger Dining Editor Robynne Tindall.

Started by Fatface Catering duo Eric and Hsu Kang Li, the brothers opened two outlets of the same venue at once, in Haidian along with the Sanlitun location, followed by a third on Qingnian Lu in eastern Beijing. The Haidian restaurant will continue to operate, Hsu Kang Li told the Beijinger via WeChat.

Fans of the fraternal Fatfaces need not fret, as their "international and non-traditional food court," The Crib, is now slated to open in mid-October, Li said, in the former location of Feiteng Yuxiang in Xingfu Ercun, as we reported in May.

During a May walkthrough, the 1,500-square-meter site was set to become home to 35 different food vendors. Stay with the Beijinger for updates.

Photo: Robynne Tindall/the Beijinger