Melt Bar & Grilled closing its Montrose, Mentor locations next month

Melt Bar and Grilled is closing two of its three remaining standalone locations — including the one in Montrose — business owner Matt Fish shared on the restaurant's Facebook page on Monday.

The restaurant will close its Mentor location on Aug. 11, then the Montrose location in Bath will close its doors on Aug. 25, Fish said. The Montrose eatery opened in 2016.

Melt's original Lakewood location, the only Melt to stay open, will close for a week for numerous "updates and improvements" beginning Sept. 2, including changes to the menu, service, atmosphere and branding, Fish said. He added that the restaurant will host a "grand re-opening" on Sept. 9. Fish said he will join his "select key staff" full-time at the Lakewood location.

Melt will also keep its Melt University location at Case Western Reserve University and its Melt Ballpark location at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Fish said.

"To say 2024 has been a crazy and turbulent year would be a huge understatement," Fish said in his Facebook post. "I greatly appreciate everyone who has supported us through the last 18 years and the many changes this year. All has led up to some very big plans to positively change Melt Bar and Grilled for the future."

In June, Melt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, facing creditor lawsuits and having shuttered multiple locations. Melt's Columbus Easton Town Center Location, the chain's last foothold outside of Northeast Ohio, closed this month.

An employee at the Montrose store declined to discuss the closing with the Beacon Journal, and corporate representatives did not immediately respond to the Beacon's request for comment about plans for the restaurant's employees.

Through August, Melt will continue to honor "gift cards, Big Cheese Club points and Melt Tattoo Family VIP discounts," Fish said on Facebook. After Sept. 9, the business will honor Melt Tattoo Family discounts, gift cards and frequent dining points at its Lakewood location, he said.

"We do not plan to change our core values or attitude," Fish said. "However, it is time for the brand to mature, get a bit more polished and positively upgrade our offerings and standards. This is a welcomed opportunity for us to improve all aspects of what made Melt Bar and Grilled great originally. More information regarding what guests can expect will be released in the weeks to come. I look forward to sharing the positive changes and improvements with everyone."

Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @pwilliamsOH.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Melt Bar & Grilled closing its Montrose, Mentor locations next month