Wiz Kidz closes Allentown location, Bethlehem restaurant’s future uncertain

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A restaurant known for its cheesesteaks and retro-inspired atmosphere has closed its locations in the Lehigh Valley.

The Allentown location of Wiz Kidz, a 1980s- and ’90s-themed eatery, permanently closed in December, while the restaurant’s original Bethlehem location at 65 E. Elizabeth Ave. is temporarily closed, according to co-owner Mo Taylor. A sign posted on the door reads, “We will be open for limited hours this week. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

Taylor said the future of the Bethlehem location remains uncertain as changes to the business’s ownership and management structure continue.

The Bethlehem restaurant could reopen under a different owner or ownership group, or potentially not reopen at all. If it does return, Taylor said it would likely be within the next few weeks. Updates will be shared through Wiz Kidz’s social media.

Wiz Kidz was founded in 2018 when Taylor and partners Cristian Duarte, Jerry Straub and Matt Weaver opened the first location on Elizabeth Avenue in Bethlehem. The group later operated a second Bethlehem-area location on Freemansburg Avenue for 3.5 years before closing it in April as part of a strategy to expand farther west in the Lehigh Valley.

The Allentown restaurant, which opened in July, marked that shift. However, Taylor said the proximity of the two Bethlehem-area locations — about 5 miles apart — led to overlap in delivery orders.

An anonymous source close to the organization said management and staffing challenges may have contributed to the closures.

The Wiz Kidz partners operate under the Bayou Boys Hospitality Group, named after their nearly 12-year-old restaurant, The Bayou, located on Hawthorne Road in Bethlehem. The Bayou serves what the group describes as a blend of traditional Southern flavors and modern American cooking.

A second Bayou location opened in downtown Easton in 2017 but closed in 2024. The partners previously operated two other full-service restaurants in downtown Allentown: Grain, which closed in 2018 after nearly 3 years, and Queen City BBQ, which shut down in 2020 after about 3 years in business.

In addition to their restaurant ventures, the group launched Bayou Boys Pierogis in 2020. The pierogis have been produced at the Union Boulevard location in Allentown since 2021.

Wiz Kidz built a following for its beef-and-chicken cheesesteaks. The menu also includes specialty fries, pierogi, and fry-and-pierogi bowls, which combine cheesesteaks with either fries or Bayou Boys Pierogis.