The UC Irvine Lee's Sandwiches, located in the University Town Center, is gone for good after 8 years in business. A Chick-fil-A is slated for the now vacant space, which is just across the bridge from campus.
Looks like Anteaters won't have to deal with other students eating anchovies on the shuttles any longer.
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Rumors of the bánh mì shop's closure have been spiraling for months, with many unsure if the once-largest shop in the Lee's Sandwiches Empire would be gone for good or just temporarily. When the location closed on Sept. 27, Lee's Sandwiches staff put up a sign indicating that the store was closed for remodeling. A call to Lee's Sandwiches Headquarters in San Jose then resulted in a statement that the store would be closed for an undetermined amount of time before opening again.
However, late last week Chick-fil-A logos appeared on the construction partitions around the structure.
When contacted today, Lee's Sandwiches confirmed that the location is now closed permanently. There are no concrete plans to open a new store in South County.
Looks like Anteaters will have to say goodbye to Vietnamese coffee and hello to homo-hating chicken sandwiches.
People who can't go without bánh mì can stop by Le Diplomate, the Lake Forest Lee's, or Banh Mi Che Cali.
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