Beloved New Jersey restaurant abruptly closes

For a restaurant that opened only months before the pandemic struck, it certainly it had its fans. The loyal following no doubt stemmed from the fact that Bistro di Marino had its longer established flagship location in Collingswood since 2004.

Customers of the newer location in Sewell were dealt quite a shock when the place closed down at lightning speed. The Italian restaurant was a place for families, couples, and also special events like baby showers and bridal showers.

A week ago everything seemed fine at the Sewell location. There was a weather situation on Wednesday which resulted in a sign on the door saying:

We will be closed today, 2/12/2025, due to the ongoing winter weather conditions. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

That seemed to mean they’d be back open and running two days later for all their Valentine’s Day reservations. However, that turned out to not be the case.

According to Courier Post, it seems Bistro di Marino made every effort to have employees left at their Collingswood location contact those who made reservations at the abruptly closed Sewell location to let them know they wouldn’t be served.

That was only half of it. There are other customers no doubt looking for new venues to host catered events. One person posted on the South Jersey Food Scene Facebook page about being left in a bind after having planned a baby shower there.

I would like to also encourage people to remember to support their small, independently-owned, local restaurants and businesses and understand the challenges that so many are currently up against,” he said. “No restaurant or business ever wants to close its doors.

He’s asking for people’s understanding. Marino said he never had a year as economically challenging as 2024. His flagship location in Collingswood will remain open.

The Sewell location certainly had its loyal fans. On that South Jersey Food Scene Facebook page the administrator at one point posted a message respectfully asking people to stop posting about the restaurant’s closure as it was inundated with posts.

R.I.P. Bistro di Marino.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.
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