Beloved sandwich chain made famous by Diners, Drive-ins and Dives shuts down… and sells off contents to fans

After nearly two decades, a gourmet sandwich chain has closed for good after failing to claw its way out of bankruptcy.

Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish announced on Facebook on New Year’s Day that the remaining restaurant would close for good.

It’s the latest chain to struggle to cope with the aftershocks of the pandemic, which caused labor problems, inflation and a change in the way Americans dined out.

Fish opened the first in 2006 in Lakewood, Ohio, and in 2013 it won industry awards for its upscale grilled cheese sandwiches and craft beers. At its peak, there were 13 locations in the state.

Fish was featured on the iconic Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show with Guy Fieri on Food Network.

He also appeared with Happy Days actor Henry Winkler on Fox 8 News, one of his many local media appearances.

But in June – by which time there were only four locations – Melt filed for bankruptcy, warning that it was struggling to pay its landlords and suppliers.

And by September, the chain had scaled back to its original Lakewood location following the closure of the Independence, Akron and Mentor stores.

Melt Bar & Grilled and its owner Matt Fish (right) were featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with its celebrity host Guy Fieri

The company decided to focus on that one location and relaunched after a renovation and rebranding.

But in the Facebook post on New Year’s Day, Fish said the relaunched restaurant simply wasn’t selling enough sandwiches to stay in business.

“All aspects of the restart went according to plan, except one: the expected robust business levels were never achieved,” he wrote.

Fish said the problems for the company can 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 was strategically set up to grow. 13 fully staffed locations, a large production facility, a transportation/facilities department and multiple salaried corporate employees. We were ready to expand and conquer…’

A follow-up post on Monday announced a “Melt Garage Sale,” scheduled for the weekend of January 17-19, from noon to 6 p.m.

“We will be selling decorative items, clothing, merchandise, tableware and small goods,” the Facebook post said.

‘The bar will be open for beer and cocktails. We invite you to have one last drink with us while you look for your favorite decoration or framed photo.’

The problems for Melt first arose in November 2020 — a tough time for many small chains after nearly a year of pandemic closures — when the company closed its Cleveland Heights location.

Melt Bar & Grilled once had fourteen locations, 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’s famous sandwiches

Melt’s outlet in Columbus’ Short North neighborhood opened in 2022, followed by the Canton and Dayton restaurants both in January 2023.

In the months leading up to the June bankruptcy filing, Melt had also closed six others.

In 2013, Melt Bar was named a Breakout Brand by the respected trade outlet Nation’s Restaurant News.

Plus magazine Esquire described its “Parmageddon” — a grilled cheese sandwich filled with a pierogi, fried onions and Napa vodka kraut — as one of the “best sandwiches in America.”

2024 was a bad year for restaurants, with 22 bankruptcy filings – the most since 2020, according to BankruptcyData.

The biggest name recognition was Red Lobster, which filed for bankruptcy in May but became a going concern after closing nearly 100 restaurants. BurgerFi, Buca di Beppo and TGI Fridays also closed restaurants and filed for bankruptcy.