Great State Burger and King Leroy have closed at Lincoln South Food Hall, according to a Downtown Bellevue Network report on October 7, 2026. The two had shared one connected space on the second floor of Lincoln Square South, at 500 Bellevue Way NE. Mean Sandwich, a Seattle shop, plans to open there in mid-October.
Taken alone, that's a routine tenant swap. Set against the food hall's history, it's the latest round of a rotation that has replaced nearly every counter on this floor more than once since 2018. One business has stayed open through every lineup, and it sits right next to the space Mean Sandwich is taking over.
The Fixture Next Door
DOTE Coffee Bar opened its first location at Lincoln Square South in 2017, before the food hall around it existed. When the hall shut down in 2022 to rework its concept, Jennifer Leavitt of Kemper Development Company told Downtown Bellevue Network that "Dote is open and has remained open throughout this process."
DOTE sells direct-trade coffee roasted in small batches, and the Bellevue Collection's current tenant page lists handmade chocolate, ice cream, and alcoholic drinks as well. It also keeps the longest hours on the floor. It opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays, four hours before most of its neighbors serve their first bowl.
The Rosters, in Order
Here is how the counters around DOTE have turned over:
- January 2018. The hall opened with seven concepts: Avo-Poke, Baguette Epicerie, Barrio Luchador, Burger Brawler, Crosta E Vino, Dote Coffee Bar, and Fat & Feathers. Downtown Bellevue Network called it "now open" on January 12, 2018.
- November 2019. What the Pho replaced Fat & Feathers. When the hall later closed for its refresh, What the Pho moved to the first level of Bellevue Square, across from Gap.
- March 2022. Ascend Hospitality Group handed ownership to Kemper Development Company, and the hall closed while the concept was reworked.
- June 2023. The hall reopened with Drip Tea, Seoul Bowl, and West Coast Tacos in the new mix.
- August 2024. Great State Burger and King Leroy opened together in one connected space, where guests could order from either menu.
- Summer 2026. OAKBERRY, the açaí bowl and smoothie brand, opened its first Washington and Pacific Northwest location here.
- October 2026. Great State Burger and King Leroy closed, and Mean Sandwich is set to open in their space.
None of the 2018 lineup appears on the current directory except DOTE.
The Leasing Logic Behind the Newcomers
The 2023 reopening came with a stated strategy. "We are reopening Lincoln South Food Hall with restaurants that are new to the Bellevue area after establishing popularity in the greater Seattle market," Kemper McQuaid, vice president of leasing for The Bellevue Collection, said at the time.
King Leroy fits that pattern. Its Bellevue counter followed the original on Seventh Avenue in Seattle. Mean Sandwich fits it too. The Bellevue shop will be its second location, after the original on Leary Way NW in Ballard. So does OAKBERRY, which is arriving in the region for the first time rather than moving over from Seattle.
What Changes in the Burger-and-Bar Space
The swap changes more than the menu. King Leroy was a 21+ Northwest-style bar serving beer, cocktails, sandwiches, wings, and all-day breakfast, open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mean Sandwich plans to keep hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and its menu includes a grilled cheese for kids and bread pudding for dessert. The space goes from a late-night, adults-only bar to an all-ages counter that closes with the rest of the floor.
Owner Dan Crookston kept the shop's seven original sandwiches and added two: the Hama Hama Oyster Po'Boy and a dry-aged double smashburger called "The D.A.M.burger." The MEAN costs $20. It's thick-cut corned beef brisket, braised and then griddled to order, with house yellow mustard, pickled red cabbage, and fresh mint on a challah bun griddled in butter. The WTK? A Fried Chicken Po'boy, also $20, puts buttermilk-brined fried chicken thighs on a banh mi bun with Calabrian chili relish, house pickles, hot lemon-pepper mayo, and shredded lettuce. Sandwiches range from $16 to $22. The representative who confirmed the mid-October window didn't give an exact opening day.
Who's at the Counters Right Now
The Bellevue Collection's food hall directory currently lists five vendors as open. Posted hours from each tenant page:
| Vendor | What it serves | Mon–Fri | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOTE Coffee Bar | Coffee, chocolate, ice cream, drinks | 7 a.m.–9 p.m. | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. | 8 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| OAKBERRY | Açaí bowls, smoothies | 8:30 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Mix Sushi Bar | Rolls, nigiri, inari, bowls | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Seoul Bowl | Korean BBQ bowls | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| West Coast Tacos | Mexican street tacos | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
Seoul Bowl and West Coast Tacos are the longest-running counters after DOTE. Both have been here since the 2023 reopening. Drip Tea, the third tenant from that reopening, was still listed as a food hall tenant on July 23, 2026, but it isn't on the current directory. No closure date has been reported. The Mix Sushi Bar and West Coast Tacos pages were last updated in 2025, so their hours are worth checking before a Sunday visit.
Across the Street, Second Floors Are Turning Over Too
Lincoln Square North, at 700 Bellevue Way NE, shows the same pattern on a bigger scale. Din Tai Fung didn't leave Bellevue. It moved downstairs within the same building, into a larger first-floor restaurant at 10455 NE 8th Street that opened April 16, 2024.
Its old Level 2 space, Suite 280 near Lucky Strike, is going to Wagyu House. Wagyu House serves all-you-can-eat yakiniku, the Japanese barbecue style where diners grill their own meat at the table, with cuts from American and Australian Wagyu up to Japanese A5. It's run by Chubby Group, the company behind Chubby Cattle, The X Pot, and Niku X. It has locations in Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston, and Bellevue will be its first in Washington. The timing has varied between reports. A September 29 roundup placed the opening in November, and an October 1 report said the end of 2026. Late 2026 is the safest expectation.
Level 2 of Lincoln Square North is also getting a furniture store. Article plans to open its first U.S. store there in mid-October, with sofas plus dining, bedroom, and living room furniture in mid-century, Scandinavian, and contemporary styles.
Parking and Getting There
Lincoln Square parking is complimentary with validation from its shops, restaurants, and entertainment. On weekdays until 8 p.m., validation covers three hours. After 8 p.m. and all weekend, no validation is needed, according to The Bellevue Collection's parking page. With most food hall counters open until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, a weekday dinner after 8 p.m. falls in the window where no validation is needed. A tunnel connection on Level P3 links the Bellevue Place and Lincoln Square garages.
If you're meeting friends coming from Seattle on the light rail, check the dates first. Sound Transit says buses will replace 2 Line trains between International District/Chinatown and South Bellevue all day on October 17 and 18 for maintenance on the Mercer Island tunnel power system. That's likely the same weekend Mean Sandwich opens, if it hits its mid-October target.
Turnover like this shows up in downtown Bellevue's day-to-day long before it shows up in any listing. Following which counters open, which close, and which stay open is part of how Chris Watkins reads each Eastside neighborhood. If you own a home near Lincoln Square and want to see how this part of downtown figures into its value, start with a free home valuation.
