After 18 years, Ohio restaurant concept announces permanent closure of last location

Once popular both in its hometown of Cleveland and here in Columbus, Melt Bar & Grilled is officially a thing of the past.

According to an emotional Facebook post from owner Matt Fish, the concept’s sole remaining eatery in Lakewood, Ohio is now closed.

At its peak, Melt operated a total of 13 restaurants, including two in Columbus (one in the Short North and another in Easton).

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“Today is a very sad day for me both personally and professionally. The company I started 18 years ago is over,” Fish’s post reads. “What started as random ideas on a piece of notebook paper turned into nearly two decades of a successful business. Melt began as the ‘little restaurant that could’ and unexpectedly went on to spread its wings, grow tremendously and inspire many others to do the same.”

Fish cited the 2020 pandemic as the turning point for the brand, noting that it was doing well beforehand, but was simply unable to adapt to the post-pandemic market, despite closing 12 locations, trimming staff and attempting to reimagine its original Lakewood location.

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