Unusual happenings at the relatively new The Qui Korean BBQ & Bar in the South Riding area of Loudoun County. The restaurant has closed suddenly — and the doors are chained shut.
We’ll walk you through what we know. In May 2023, The Burn first reported that The Qui Korean BBQ was coming to a vacant space in the Gum Spring Village Center. That’s a small retail center off Gum Spring Road south of Highway 50.
In September 2023, The Qui opened for business. That was just six months ago. Now, the restaurant has suddenly closed.
Online, The Qui announced that they would be closing their Loudoun location “temporarily” while they made “improvements.” That would be strange in its own right — but what happened next takes it to another level.
At the restaurant, the doors are chained shut — apparently by the landlord. That’s a strong statement to make in its own right.
On the door, there are also two signs. One says “No Trespassing. Please be advised that the Landlord of these Premises has exercised the right of self-help and has re-entered and retaken possession of the Premises from the Tenant.”
On the other door, there is a large “For Lease” sign and a phone number interested parties can call.
We reached out to The Qui — which has three other locations in Chantilly, Fairfax, and Gainesville — and an employee told us it was unclear what was happening with the South Riding location. He said it was a “legal” matter and that he believed the closure was only “temporary.”
The South Riding location is still listed on The Qui’s main website where it also says “temporarily closed.”
However, that “temporarily” may be wishful thinking. We called Kim & MacPherson LLC, the landlord, and we were told they do not anticipate The Qui returning.
There was apparently an issue with unpaid rent that led to the retaking of the space. And indeed, the roughly 3,000 s.f. space is actively being marketed to new restaurants.
If this is how it goes down, it’s a big blow to The Qui. They undoubtedly spent a good deal of money outfitting the Gum Spring space with their decor and equipment. It’s unclear what they might recover if they are behind on rent.
Also, they are experienced restaurateurs with other existing restaurants, so for things to be so dire after just six months is remarkable.
It’s also unclear what is happening with The Meat, a butcher shop next door to the restaurant that was being opened by the owners of The Qui. It’s prospects are also suddenly much dimmer.
Stay tuned — we’ll keep you posted on whatever happens next.