Woodbridge Bar Louie Closes As Chain Files For Bankruptcy

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — The Bar Louie off Rt. 1 in Woodbridge abruptly closed over the weekend, announcing on their Facebook page their last day of business was this past Saturday, Jan. 25.

The news comes as the Bar Louie chain confirmed Monday they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Woodbridge location was one of dozens of Bar Louies across the nation that quietly closed their doors for good this past weekend.

"To our loyal guests, our last day of business was January 25th, 2020," read the Facebook post. "Please visit us at our Paramus location or go to www.barlouie.com/locations to find the Bar Louie nearest to you."

The Woodbridge Bar Louie was located at 675 Rt. 1 south across from the Woodbridge Center Mall. They opened in 2017, and brought as many as 75 jobs to the area. On Facebook, one person complained that the restaurant shut abruptly without giving any notice to employees. Nobody answered the phone when Patch called the Woodbridge location Monday.

The next nearest Bar Louie is in the Brunswick Square mall on Rt. 18 East Brunswick, and that remains open. There is another Bar Louie in Paramus, and that remains open as well.

The Woodbridge Bar Louie was where a customer once gave a waitress a $1,000 tip on a $20 bill back in August of 2017. The waitress was a local Colonia woman. Read that story: Woodbridge Waitress Gets Huge Tip On $20 Bill

Bar Louie said it will continue to operate more than 90 locations across the United States "in the normal course of business."

"Bar Louie is a profitable business focused on long-term growth with new investors. The sale through Chapter 11 will help us to focus on our profitable core locations and expand in areas that have a proven track record of success," Tom Fricke, CEO of Bar Louie, said in the news release. "Most importantly, it ensures that we can continue to provide superior service to our guests, implement an exciting range of new customer-facing initiatives, expand our marketing influence, and continue to offer the 5-star experience we are known for."

Related: Bar Louie Woodbridge Will Open This Weekend (May 2017)