Before there was Market Garden Brewpub, Nano Brew, Speakeasy, Bar Cento and the large production brewery behind the West Side Market there was Bier Markt. Partners Mark Priemer and Sam McNulty opened the Belgian beer bar in 2005, which began the transformation of Ohio City into Cleveland's hottest beer, food and fun district.
Bar Cento followed in 2007. The dimly lit wine bar next door was helmed by chef Jonathon Sawyer, who was fresh off a stint as chef at Michael Symon's Parea restaurant in New York City. From the start, people flocked to the super-hip bistro for crispy pommes frites, thin and crisp Sunnyside pies and 100 (cento) or so available wines.
After Sawyer moved on to open Greenhouse Tavern, the kitchen has been helmed by some of Cleveland's best cooks, including Mike Nowak, Adam Lambert, Andrew Bower, Maggie Schwenk, Kyle Fioretti and others.
Well, it's the end of the line for Bar Cento and Bier Markt. Today, the owners announced that both will be closing for good in early 2022. They also announced that new concepts would be created in their places and unveiled a few months later. Obviously, we'll keep you updated on the developments.
Here's the newsletter announcement that shares the bittersweet news:
"It's been a great 16 years, but it's now time we say goodbye....and hello! :)
Back in 2005 when we threw a festive grand-opening party for Bier Markt, the Ohio City neighborhood was nothing like it is today. It was a neighborhood in need of improvement, but we love this Fair City and see so much potential at every turn. And so in the 16 years that followed, we've enjoyed every magic moment with our families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Now it's time we wish you all a fond farewell.
Early in the new year we will be permanently closing Bier Markt and Bar Cento.
The good news is we will be reopening after a few months of construction with whole new, fresh, and exciting concept.
We'll keep Speakeasy open the entire time. And every single one of our wonderful team members will remain employed throughout and will be ready to rock out a huge Grand Opening Week of celebrations.
So right up to the moment we close our doors for final time, we'll be celebrating all the fun and festive times we've all enjoyed over these past 16 years.
Cheers & much love to you all!
Sam McNulty, Mark Priemer, & Team"