Exit Teriyaki, enter Quizno's

Back in April, I expounded on the versatile take-away containers of the Japanese-themed fast food restaurant on Elgin next to Harvey's, in the post Made In Japan: A Leftover Experience.

In late August, the store was shut down, due to arrears in the payment of rent, according to the letter posted in the front window.

The lettering from the sign was removed, leaving a black rectangle below the Elgin's trademark sign.

The door was open one day last week when I went by, and you could see that the former decorations were still inside. Some workers were removing boxes of old merchandise.

A sign in the door on that day advertised a Quizno's would be opening up. This would be the fourth in Centretown, after the ones at Bronson and Arlington, Bank and MacLaren, and Bank and Slater. A handwritten sign advertises an e-mail address to apply to work there. (I'd note that the one at Bank and MacLaren always has a "we're hiring" sign in the window every time I look)

This week, one of the panels in the sidewalk-facing windows was replaced from a "franchise opportunity" plus phone number to "Opening Soon" and Quizno's logo.

When I was having lunch at the Harvey's beside it on Tuesday, a constant banging of hammers emanated from the vacant store. Today (Friday) the door was open again and you could see the fruits of that labour: new walls, new paint job. Two building permits are posted on the inside door (not visible when the outer door is closed).

A colleague of mine suggested Genji on Lisgar as an alternative (and, frankly, more authentic) Japanese restaurant. There's also the noodle house between Somerset and MacLaren for other asian food. Not being a big fan of sushi, I might pass; I liked the Teriyaki place more for its takeout containers.

The Quizno's will be replacing one franchise fast food place with another, but it'll be better than another vacant storefront on Elgin.