By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-08 13:28:47 | Updated at 2025-01-09 06:35:48
17 hours ago
After nearly two decades, a gourmet sandwich chain has shut for good after it was unable to battle its way out of 11 bankruptcy.
Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish announced via Facebook on New Year's Day that the remaining restaurant was shutting for good.
It is the latest chain to struggle to cope with the aftershocks of the pandemic, which caused labor issues, inflation and a change to how Americans eat out.
Fish opened the first one in 2006 in Lakewood, Ohio, and by 2013 it was winning industry awards for its fancy grilled cheese sandwiches and craft beers. At its peak there were 13 locations in the state.
Fish featured on iconic Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show with Guy Fieri on Food Network.
He also appeared alongside Happy Days actor Henry Winkler on Fox 8 News, one of his many appearances in local media.
But in June - by then down to four locations - Melt filed for bankruptcy and warned it was struggling to pay its landlords and suppliers.
And by September, the chain had scaled back to its original Lakewood location following the closures of its Independence, Akron, and Mentor stores.
Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish on Fox 8 News with actor Henry Winkler (left) who played The Fonz in TV show Happy Days
Melt Bar & Grilled and its owner Matt Fish (right) featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with its famous host Guy Fieri
The company decided to focus on that one location, and it was relaunched after a renovation and rebranding.
But in the Facebook post on New Year's Day, Fish said the relaunched restaurant simply did not sell enough sandwiches to keep going.
'All aspects of the relaunch succeeded according to plan except one: the projected robust business levels never happened,' he wrote.
Fish said problems for the company could be traced back to the pandemic.
'Melt Bar and Grilled has struggled financially since then,' he wrote.
'Pre-pandemic the company was doing well and strategically set to grow. 13 fully staffed locations, a large production facility, a transportation/facilities department and multiple salaried corporate personnel. We were ready to expand and conquer…'
A follow-up post Monday announced a 'Melt Garage Sale' scheduled for the weekend of January 17 to 19, running from 12 to 6pm.
'We will be selling decorative items, apparel, merchandise, serving ware, and small wares,' according to the Facebook post.
'The bar will be open for beer and cocktails. We invite you to stop in and have a last drink with us, while you peruse for your favorite decoration or framed picture.'
Problems for Melt first arose in November 2020 - a tough time for many small chains after almost a year of pandemic-related closures - when the company shut the Cleveland Heights location.
Melt Bar & Grilled once had 14 outlets but is now down to four, but owner Matt Fish is still confident the hugely popular chain has a future
One of Melt Bar & Grilled famous sandwiches
Melt's outlet in Columbus' Short North neighborhood went in 2022, then the Canton and Dayton restaurants both in January 2023.
In the months leading up to June's bankruptcy filing, Melt had shut down six others too.
In 2013, Melt Bar was named a Breakout Brand by respected trade outlet Nation's Restaurant News.
Plus magazine Esquire described its 'Parmageddon' - a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with a pierogi, sauteed onions and Napa vodka kraut - as one of its 'Best Sandwiches in America.'
2024 was a bad year for restaurants, with 22 filing for bankruptcy - the highest number since 2020, according to BankruptcyData.
The highest profile was Red Lobster, which filed for bankruptcy in May but emerged as a going concern after shuttering almost 100 restaurants. BurgerFi, Buca di Beppo and TGI Fridays also shuttered restaurants and filed for bankruptcy.
