A long-running restaurant rumor has been confirmed: Switch Steak is closing. The Encore restaurant, located adjacent to Encore Beach Club and Surrender, will complete its run on July 22, the final day of operations. Wynn officials stated the restaurant will re-open as a new concept in December 2012.

Originally a more continental concept, Switch opened with Encore’s arrival in late 2008. Known more for transforming décor than cuisine—walls move and lighting changes every few minutes in an attempt to create multiple environments during a single meal—Switch always seemed an odd fit within the Wynn restaurant lineup. It’s a gimmicky experience in a world of upscale, food-focused casino dining.

No word on what the replacement restaurant will be, but it’s a safe bet that whatever comes next will be dayclub and nightclub friendly, capitalizing on the continued success at EBC and Surrender. It was rumored months ago that restaurateur Michael Morton, who operates La Cave at Wynn, was collaborating with Wynn’s team once again on a Latin concept for the Switch space, but that deal allegedly fell apart.

In even more bizarre Wynn food news, Steve Wynn has invested in an Australian company specializing in meat pot pies that contain an encrusted facial expression in each pastry. Seriously.