You might think that a restaurant that has been featured on The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” and The Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food” would have some staying power in terms of business outlook.
Unfortunately for one such restaurant, turbulent financial times and unforeseen circumstances forced a sad ending to an 18-year story…
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
Melt Bar and Grilled was opened in 2006 by founder and CEO Matt Fish. The original restaurant was located in Lakewood, Ohio. Before permanently closing its sole remaining restaurant (the original location) earlier this year, there were at one point 13 different locations.
What made this restaurant so unique that it drew Guy Fieri to feature it?
Shutterstock
Grilled cheese is a staple comfort food, and one that many kids master as some of their first solo meal preparation beyond using a microwave. Melt Bar and Grilled specialized in grilled cheese, but these were seriously unique variations on the classic, in addition to plenty of other menu items.
Shutterstock
If you wanted to keep it simple with a good ole’ grilled cheese, there was the “Kindergarten” made with freshly-baked bread and your choice of cheese. An example of a more interesting variation of the grilled cheese was the “Wake and Bacon” (farm fresh eggs and bacon added to the grilled cheese).
For anyone who wasn’t big into grilled cheese, there was plenty of variety on the menu to keep customers happy.
Shutterstock
Melt Bar and Grilled offered other meals and sides like:
- Buffalo chicken
- Meatloaf
- Gyros and other sandwiches
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Watermelon salad
- Macaroni and cheese
With such an inclusive menu and initial success, what led to Melt Bar and Grilled’s closing? Let’s look at the turning of events…
Shutterstock
Like many restaurants nationwide, Melt Bar and Grilled took a big financial hit with the 2020 pandemic. Stay-at-home orders and customers who were wary of gathering in social settings (like a sit-down restaurant) led to major income issues.
In case you were curious how many restaurants closed in 2020 alone, we scraped up some estimates…
Shutterstock
According to data in a piece in The Washington Post, an estimated 159,000 restaurants closed in 2020. Melt Bar and Grilled made it through the worst of it and stayed open several years past that, but some of the financial damage may have been irreversible.
Shutterstock
CEO Matt Fish mentioned the pandemic specifically in his statement about its closure. Fish wrote,
“The process to save Melt Bar and Grilled started in 2020. The world and the restaurant/service industry changed drastically during the pandemic. Hundreds of difficult decisions and countless efforts were made to put the company in a position to survive and thrive. Unfortunately, these determined efforts were not enough to save the company”.
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
Fish went on to say that he made many efforts to save his small restaurant chain. 12 of the 13 locations were closed, and then Fish filed for bankruptcy in June 2024. Fish did some rebranding and relaunched the sole remaining location in Lakewood, Ohio a few months later in September…
Shutterstock
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to bring in the revenue needed to keep Melt Bar and Grilled afloat, and Fish announced its permanent closure on January 1, 2025. (Rising costs due to inflation certainly didn’t help, either!)
Fish also mentioned some changes in his family’s health, which “weighed heavily” on his decision.
Shutterstock
The closing of Melt Bar and Grilled was a sad day for many, but probably especially so for the 1,000 members of the “Melt Tattoo Family”. By getting a grilled cheese tattoo, these 1,000 customers were entitled to 25% off at Melt Bar and Grilled for life.
Hopefully they still enjoy their tattoos even without the discount…
Shutterstock
The fact that Melt Bar and Grilled had such a loyal following (would YOU get a grilled cheese tattoo for 25% off?) and that it went from one location to 13 is a testament to its success. It lasted 18 years, and unfortunately, was dealt some unlucky hands.
For those who had a chance to dine at Melt Bar and Grilled, I’m dying to know…
Shutterstock
What do you think of its closing? If you loved it, what was your favorite item off the menu? Share your experiences in the comments!
Shutterstock
Leave a Comment