Another aging fast-food restaurant in Lawrence is set for demolition.

Long John Silver’s, 1501 W. 23rd St., closed Friday and has been cleaned out in preparation for razing by early next week, said Steve Bryant, president of Construction Services Bryant Inc., the project’s contractor.

In the 20-year-old building’s place will go a new “co-branded” restaurant, featuring both Long John Silver’s and A&W. Both brands are operated by Yum Brands Inc., a Louisville, Ky.-based company that is freshening up the oldest of its 34,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories.

Yum says it plans 550 such combo projects this year, adding to the 2,900 “multibranding” locations already up and running.

Such blended stores open for at least a year saw sales increase 5 percent during the second quarter, compared with a year earlier. Only Yum’s KFC-only stores had a better performance (up 8 percent) than combined locations, while Yum’s Pizza Hut-only operations were up only 2 percent.

“Most of Yum’s (new) buildings now are directed at co-branding,” said Bryant, whose company is building another combo deal – this time for Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell – in Olathe. “It’s a great deal. It offers the customer an opportunity to make one stop and pick up two : fast-serve products at the same location.”

Lawrence already has a co-branded A&W, which shares a building with KFC southwest of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive.

On 23rd Street, the existing 2,500-square-foot building will be replaced with one covering 2,800 square feet, Bryant said. It will have seating for 66 people, and include a drive-through lane.

Bryant said the new restaurant should be completed by Nov. 10.

The project comes as a new Taco Bell is going up at 1220 W. Sixth St., replacing another building ordered demolished last month by franchise owner Camolaur Inc., of St. Joseph, Mo. That project comes after three other restaurants nearby – Burger King, McDonald’s and Taco John’s – all have undergone interior and exterior renovations.