Three locations of a popular Toronto bao restaurant may be closing, but they're opening up others in their wake.

Mean Bao posted to Instagram announcing they'd be closing their Village by the Grange, Annex Food Hall and Leslieville locations within days.

The restaurant is known for its fast casual take on fluffy bao sandwiches with different fillings, as well as dim-sum-esque items like dumplings and cold salads.

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"COVID made us evaluate our operations and come up with ways to improve our efficiency," Mean Bao co-owner Scott Ching tells blogTO. "We are focusing on more express locations versus bigger dine-in ones."

A Queen and Bathurst location and a Radical Road Brewing pop-up continue to operate, and a Bay Adelaide Centre location should be reopening soon.

Three brand new locations will also soon be opening their doors in Toronto.

One at College and Bathurst near Kensington Market (in the old L'Arc en Ciel space) should be opening mid-April, an express location at First Canadian Place should be opening by June, and a location at Union Station should be open by the end of the year.