State College’s Bar Bleu Closes

Another downtown State College staple seems to be permanently shuttered.

Bar Bleu, 114 S. Garner St., appears to be closed for good, evidenced by locked doors, an empty interior and a banner in its window indicating the property is for lease from Continental Real Estate Management.

A note on its Google page suggests the bar is permanently closed, and its phone line forwards calls to an automated answering machine.

For now, it’s unclear why Bar Bleu closed. Its parent company, Dante’s Restaurants and Nightlife, didn’t respond to an initial request for comment submitted Saturday.

Originally opened in 2002 as Beulah’s BBQ & Bar Bleu, the two-level establishment was refocused as simply Bar Bleu in 2009, a combination sports bar, live music venue and nightspot.

It joins another Dante’s business in closing this year. The Deli & Z-Bar, 113 Hiester Street, has had a “for lease” sign in its window since at least early August and is no longer listed on the Dante’s website.

The Deli had been in business since 1973, when Andrew Zangrilli purchased and reopened the former Nittany Lodge as a “Jewish style deli with a traditional American kitchen.”

Dante’s management did not respond to earlier requests for comment about The Deli’s closure.

StateCollege.com editor Geoff Rushton contributed to this report.