Original Melt Bar & Grilled Lakewood Location Set For Renovation

LAKEWOOD, OH —Melt Bar & Grilled's original Lakewood location will be closed for approximately 26 days to allow for a renovation. The restaurant will close down on April 1 and is expected to re-open on April 27.

"The original location was opened on a very small budget and we only did what was necessary to get the doors open but the time is right to bring the original Melt location up to current service and guest experience expectations," said Matt Fish, owner of Melt.

Fish said the restaurant's remodeling will be focused on expansion and renovation. The kitchen will be completely gutted and re-built with a new floor, walls and ceiling. There will also be two, new first-floor bathrooms, a new host stand area, a new server station, new exterior back entrance area, new Melt signage on the back of the building and other cosmetic updates to the bar and dining room.

Fish said he wants to modernize the location while maintaining its original look and feel. When the restaurant re-opens on April 27, there will be a grand re-opening celebration with free swag for guests and some mystery attendees planned.

The renovation announcement prompted a wave of nostalgia among some Lakewood notables.

“Melt has led the way in Lakewood’s grilled cheese economy,” said Ian Andrews, executive director of LakewoodAlive. “Guests from all over visit the restaurant and Lakewood because of Melt; it was the first restaurant to put down stakes in the new era of Downtown Lakewood, with Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar following shortly thereafter. Matt had a vision and helped make Downtown Lakewood a destination.”

Patty Ryan, CEO and president of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, agreed. “I often think that when the Melt Bar and Grilled lighted blade sign went up on Detroit, it physically marked the beginning of redevelopment in downtown Lakewood. The attractive and cool renovation of the Melt storefront demonstrated what was possible and it raised the bar for existing and incoming businesses. With the success of Melt, other restaurateurs wanted to come to Lakewood. Soon downtown was a food destination and local businesses benefited. Melt helped define Lakewood as a food town.”

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch