By Jake Kwon ’26
Let’s be honest–Bell Patio wasn’t an ordinary restaurant just that came and went; it was a legendary eatery amongst students and teachers alike. Arguably the best local restaurant in Bellarmine history, the mere smell of fried goodies drew students to line up at the food truck daily. From those luscious, plump chicken nuggets to seared smashburgers–and of course, those spiced, blistering hot french fries–every menu item sold like hotcakes. And their sauces? They reigned supreme.
It seemed as if Patio had clinched their spot as the #1. They were unstoppable, holding a firm grasp as to where students would find their next meal. Simply put, business was endless.
However, the restaurant’s first major hurdle occurred at the beginning of 2024, when rumors spread about a rat crawling to the restaurant’s fryer. It turned out to be true, and Patio was forced to shut down for around a month.
Despite this loss, Patio bounced back a month later with revamped agua fresca options and the introduction of canned boba drinks (most likely intended to emulate Teaqueria’s success). The food truck continued to pump out delicious food up until around July 2024, when the restaurant closed down again–albeit, for unknown reasons–at the time.
The closure of Bell Patio was devastating to Bellarmine Students. We all couldn’t get enough of the crispy fried goodness, which by then had become a lunchtime ritual. From this point onward, many rumors began to spread regarding the restaurant’s closure–was there another rat in the fryer? Had they been shut down by health inspectors? Was there a death in the company? Many questions were asked, but none had significant evidence to back it up.
However, the most logical conclusion that Bellarmine Students came to was that there was a legal battle between the Bellarmine Institution and Bell Patio. Bell Patio is a separate entity from Bellarmine (not associated at all whatsoever), but they used Bellarmine’s “Bellarman” mascot and logo, and many suspected that they tried to copy the design of the BCP Food Truck next to the SLC. This seemed like the most logical conclusion, especially because of the abrupt shutdown.
However, journalists at the Bell Online wanted to investigate this case further, and we reached out to both Bellarmine’s president, Mr. Meyercord and Bell Patio for some answers. When asked about this suspected “legal battle” between the two entities, Mr. Meyercord denied this speculation, noting that Bellarmine never had “any qualms with the Bell Patio.” We also asked Mr. Meyercord if he knew anything about what had happened, to which he responded with “To be honest with you, I don’t have any idea. For a while there it seemed like they had a good business going and I’m not sure what changed.”
The Bell Online also reached out to Bell Patio, but received no comment.
Based on the information we have gathered so far, it is apparent that this rumor about a supposed “legal battle” between the restaurant and school can be ruled out. Based on the information that the Bell has put together, we speculate that these outcomes below likely were to ones that played out.
- Construction/Legal Issues: Patio has always somehow found its way into disarray/cleanliness issues, evidently seen with the rat incidents and the plethora of construction-related items that have been left outside. Based on its history, it honestly wouldn’t be surprising if a possible shutdown or construction obstacle has kept the restaurant from making a full return.
- Personal/Managerial Issues: Obstacles involving ownership, staff and family often play a huge role in the restaurant business. Therefore, it is also likely that issues regarding the restaurant’s leadership, or perhaps other pressing matters may have been what caused Patio to be put on hold or completely scrapped altogether.
Students have reported sightings of the Bell Patio owner returning to the restaurant site to work on repairs and on the main building, albeit this is just speculation. Many others have also speculated that rivaling restaurants such as Teaqueria may have potentially reported cleanliness issues at Bell Patio to the health department, although this also is seen more as speculation due a strong lack of evidence.
As much as I hate to say it, we may never have a chance to dip and munch those spice-dusted fries ever again. As the school year ends, things continue to look more grim in terms of the restaurant’s future, and what to expect from Bell Patio in the future. All we can do is simply wait and pray for the day when Bell Patio re-opens its doors to the seas of hungry Bellarmine Students.
If you or any other Bellarmine Student happens to know/have a good explanation as to what happened to the restaurant, please by all means feel free to send in a message under the “About” tab and on the “Submissions” category. Enjoy your summer Bells!