Two Downtown Restaurants on One City Block Abruptly Close

Within days of each other, two restaurants on the same city block in the Fremont East neighborhood have abruptly closed. On May 30, the Smashed Pig Gastropub at 509 Fremont Street posted on Instagram that it was closing, saying that “the unfortunate time has come,” but hinting that something else may be in the works. The downtown bar and restaurant opened in 2015, next to the Griffin and what is now Flippin’ Good Chicken, Burgers, Beer. It served burgers and chicken sandwiches, soft pretzels, and chicken wings, plus a colorful variety of cocktails.

The following day, on May 31, Donut Bar posted on Instagram that it was immediately closing, saying “our journey has sadly come to an end here at Donut Bar Las Vegas” and that the local doughnut shop Carl’s Donuts, will take over the space. The San Diego-based doughnut shop opened at 124 South Sixth Street in 2016, quickly gaining popularity for its crème brûlée doughnuts with a crunchy sugary top, its oversized doughnuts with a whole Pop-Tart inside, and its grilled cheeses, with melted cheese sandwiched between two halves of a glazed doughnut.

The two eateries share a city block, with both locations backing up into the DT Alley, on the block that is bordered by Fremont Street, Sixth Street, Carson Avenue, and Las Vegas Boulevard. As of June 1, both restaurants are closed. The restaurants’s owners could not be reached for comment.