CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Le's Sandwiches was started in 2004 by Tuan Nguyen's parents. The couple built a loyal customer base by serving the traditional Vietnamese sandwich, also known as banh mi.
Then, last month, the Charlotte Fire Department evacuated the Asian Corner Mall, deeming it unsafe. Documents from CFD reveal hundreds of violations dating back to 2010, followed by a string of events dating back to February 2021, that led to the closure.
The development company, Beauxwright, which bought the building last September, confirmed with WCNC Charlotte, the mall was closed due to conditions related to its old age.
Cooper Morrison, principal of Beauxwright, sent this information to WCNC:
"Beauxwright is the owner of 40% of the Asian Corner Mall, and the land and lots surrounding it. We can confirm that the Charlotte Fire Department closed the Asian Corner Mall Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, due to unsafe conditions related to the old age and poor condition of the building, which predate our ownership. We thank the Charlotte Fire Department for their diligence and are jointly committed to keeping our tenants and their patrons safe.
When Beauxwright purchased the building on Sept. 8, 2022, 80% of the mall space was vacant or occupied by tenants already planning to relocate or move. The Beauxwright team has worked with our tenants in support of their businesses and the transition as a result of the building's long-time disrepair. That continues today.
This closure impacts two tenants, one of whom is Le's Sandwiches & Cafe. We recommend those looking for updates about Le's Sandwiches' location and service capacity stay tuned to Le's social media channels.
While we cannot say much more about our future plans for the property, we can confirm that Mr. Le's Sandwiches will reopen in our new space in 2023. We have been working with Tuan and Emily Nguyen during this transition and we'll be excited to welcome them back to a space that is new and improved.
The Beauxwright team is excited about the momentum in the area, and we look forward to sharing later this spring."
The good news for Le's loyal customers is, Tuan Nguyen and his wife, Emily, will take over for Tuan's parents. They have their permit to rebuild, although a start time is not yet set. In the meantime, they are looking at several options to open for the short term.