Update: Tim’s has been granted a one-month extension by the authorities and will remain open until the end of January.
Update: Here’s the press release from Tim Hilbert at Tim’s Texas Bar-B-Q
“Due to PRC laws which restrict the use of PLA land for commercial purposes, Tim’s Texas Bar-B-Q’s lease has not been renewed. We have been directed to close and vacate on or before Dec 30, 2015, subject to a possible 1 month extension.”
“Tim’s Texas Bar-B-Q served its first meal in Beijing on October 31, 2006 and has been in its current location in the Silk #2 building since August 2007. The search is already underway for a new location for the business. I thank all my customers and friends for their support over the past 9 years. Please come by for a farewell drink and/or a picture for the archives of one of Beijing’s coolest bars. I look forward to announcing a new location and hosting a grand-reopening (like a Phoenix) party soon.”
Original post
Just days after news of The Den closing, word now comes Tim’s Texas Bar-B-Q will be gone in two weeks. Via his Facebook page, owner Tim Hilbert said his landlord informed him he must vacate the premises by December 30, as — apparently much like The Den — the space is designed for use by the military, not for commercial purposes. Hilbert says that those who wish to stop by for a final drink best pull on their cowboy boots and hustle over before December 28.
The first Tim’s opened across from Ritan Park shortly after I moved to Beijing about ten years ago. It spiced up the restaurant scene with its barbecue, notably its brisket, and drew crowds from the first week. It later moved to its current location near the Silk Market. Hilbert also had a place called Tim’s Texas Roadhouse on the former Super Bar Street. I well remember when it, and the neighboring bars and restaurants, faced closure. On one crucial night, when word came the power would be cut at the stroke of midnight, a bunch of us gathered for a few beers and Hilbert assured us there was nothing to worry about — he had a generator all ready to go.
In any case, this news comes as a shock given we held a successful Maovember event at Tim’s just week ago, and raised over rmb8,500 for charity, and everything seemed ‘business as usual’. Hilbert says he got notice of the impending closure just a few days later. Such is life in Beijing.
I’m told Tim’s will put out a press release soon and I will update this post when I get a copy. Hopefully it announces there are plans to open elsewhere!
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Another sad announcement.
That Super Bar Street near the current U.S. Embassy was certainly a novel place. Another one bites the dust.