Same Old Story: Modo Floored by Landlord ... Who's Next?

Last summer, Swire, the management company behind Sanlitun Village, announced to its Village South residents that they would be enforcing a policy of removing all mezzanine floors when contracts were renewed. Modo, the popular third-floor restaurant, is the first to feel the full force of those restrictions.

Modo has released a statement announcing that they will be shutting for a month some time after Spring Festival to return with a brand-new project: Modo Urban Deli. Here's the situation in their own words:

"Modo’s mezzanine currently represents half of its operating space. The already compact restaurant is about to lose one lung. There is only one way to go about this for the entrepreneurial team behind the multi-awarded restaurant: face the challenge."

We're excited to see how Modo Urban Deli turns out. (We have reason to believe that it will involve lunch boxes, picnic baskets, and housemade condiments.) At the same time, we can't help but wonder about other venues likely to feel the blow when it comes to contract renewal time. For example, how will this no-mezzanine policy play out for Village venues such as Blue Frog and The Stumble Inn? We'll let you know more as we find out.