You might be starting the New Year without your favorite restaurant. In 2025, dozens of Northeast Ohio businesses, including some long-standing institutions, shut their doors.
On New Year’s Day 2025, Melt Bar and Grilled announced it was closing its last remaining location of the nearly 2-decade-old grilled cheese eatery. Weeks later, it sold off artwork, furniture, and memorabilia from the Lakewood mainstay.
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Melt was among the first dominoes to fall in Northeast Ohio’s service industry. Soon, others would follow suit.
Some, like Re:Bar, cited landlord issues and declining sales as their reason for closing.
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Others, including Bookhouse Brewing, said overhead costs were becoming unsustainable.
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And still others, like Canton’s Athens Restaurant, told News 5 it was simply time for a break.
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“We probably notice the closures more than we notice the openings. So it’s painful to watch it,” said Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance president and CEO John Barker.
He said, although it might not feel like it, there were fewer closings than openings in 2025.
About 400 restaurants, plus more cafes, breweries, and other service-related businesses closed, while close to 600 new ones opened.
Barker said many of the new openings were chains, including out-of-state businesses making their first appearance in Ohio. But he acknowledged margins are tight for everyone, especially smaller operations.
“We are concerned, obviously, whenever we see the mom and pops closing because that’s typically our friends and neighbors who have opened up a location,” he said. “And when they close, it’s pretty sad to see it. That means they really hit the skids, and they need to move on and do something else.”
Barker said surviving the modern industry requires business savvy and the ability to adapt to a changing landscape.
“You’ve got to be almost perfect at everything, which is not fair for any business,” he said.
He explained that many businesses are still recovering from the pandemic and dealing with rising costs. Inflation has leveled off, but remains at a record high for key restaurant staples like beef.
At the same time, Barker said consumer habits have changed.
“The convenience factor is so important to consumers today,” he said, explaining that carryout is likely a permanent part of most businesses since the pandemic.
Though it’s difficult to know what’s on the menu in 2026, industry experts said they’re optimistic for the upcoming year.
“I think the very best operators are going to have a good year in 2026. But I do think we’ll continue to see attrition, though,” Barker said.
