LAKEWOOD, Ohio (WCMH) — After years of apparent financial hardship and waves of closures, Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish on Wednesday, Jan. 1, announced the regional restaurant chain is closing for good after 18 years in business.
“As we step into 2025 there will be some significant changes in my life. I have made the difficult decision to permanently close Melt Bar and Grilled. This decision was not made lightly or without years of incredible efforts and stress,” Fish wrote in a Facebook post.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the business, which had two locations in Columbus, one in the Shorth North, the other at Easton Town Center, was prepared to “expand and conquer.” With 13 fully staffed locations and its own means of production and transportation, Fish said the restaurant industry never fully bounced back.
“The process to save Melt Bar and Grilled started in 2020. The world and the restaurant/service industry changed drastically during the pandemic,” he said. “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.”
In Columbus, Melt Bar and Grilled closed one of its shops off of High Street in July 2022, leaving the lone area location at Easton Town Center. Fish cited “very difficult staffing challenges” and “major cost increases” as two specific reasons why he decided to shut it down.
Fish closed 12 of the chain’s 13 locations across 2023 and 2024. In that time, a series of lawsuits from Melt’s lessors alleged unpaid rent, missed utility payments, and bounced checks. One such lawsuit came from the Easton Gateway property company on May 16, 2023.
The plaintiff claimed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court documents that it sent a notice about unpaid rent to Melt on Nov. 9, then a second notice on April 10. The landlord said Melt owes them more than $200,000 in rent, interest and attorney’s fees
The company later filed for bankruptcy in June 2024. Then in July 2024, Fish announced the chain would focus on its flagship location in Lakewood, the one that started it all in 2006.
In the initial bankruptcy filing, Melt’s owner Matthew Fish shared a 2022 income tax return for the business. It reported income of nearly $9 million, but then claimed losses of almost $5 million after factoring in rent for its storefronts, taxes, salaries and wages, and compensation of officers.
The company began renovating the original Detroit Avenue spot in September, and relaunched — but there wasn’t enough business, Fish wrote on Wednesday.
“Thank you to the millions of guests who have supported us over the last 18 years. I feel we provided a very fun, unique, consistent and delicious experience during our lifetime. Thank you to everyone who experienced and supported Melt Bar and Grilled.”
The Wednesday post did not provide a set date for the closure. An automated phone answering system at the Lakewood location states the eatery will be closed from Dec. 30 to Jan. 5 for a “staff vacation.”
WJW Fox 8 contributed to this story.
