Popular Chinese restaurant by campus closes, will re-open with sushi, hibachi focus

A Chinese food restaurant on Maxwell Street that offered its food for $1.25 a scoop has closed, but a new incarnation will open in August with a focus on sushi and hibachi.

Red Bang Bang Chinese, on Maxwell Street off of Limestone Avenue, announced its closure Tuesday after nearly five years of operation. The fast-casual restaurant was a popular destination among University of Kentucky students for its wallet-friendly options.

But the doors will only be closed for about a month, said Jose Guerrero, manager of Red Bang Bang Sushi on Mall Road, in the Fayette Mall area. The new Japanese-centered restaurant on Maxwell Street is scheduled to open in early August.

The prices will likely change from the previous $1.25 a scoop model, but the restaurant plans to keep things affordable, Guerrero said.

On Facebook the restaurant did not give a reason for its closure and received dozens of messages from past customers upset about the news.

In June 2016, Red Bang Bang Chinese temporarily closed when the Lexington-Fayette Health Department said a complaint was received that a rodent was found in a customer's food.

The health department did find mice in the establishment, but owner and manager Cai Dong said it was "very hard to believe" a rodent was found in food. Red Bang Bang Chinese re-opened a week later.

The restaurant received a passing score of 96/100 on its most recent inspection.

Note: This story was updated from its original version to say the restaurant will re-open with a new focus.

This story was originally published July 5, 2018 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Popular Chinese restaurant by campus closes, will re-open with sushi, hibachi focus."