Did The Blue Palm Close? What We Found at Palms on Memphis

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Rumors have been moving through Cleveland’s Latino community that The Blue Palm Latin Restaurant and Lounge has closed. The uncertainty grew after the Memphis Avenue venue began using a different name—Palms on Memphis—while its restaurant listings, delivery pages and event promotions continued to show conflicting information.

What Cleveland Boricua found: As of August 22, 2026, we could not verify that the business has permanently closed. The evidence points to a venue that was publicly promoting events as recently as July, but whose regular restaurant hours and day-to-day availability are unclear. One major delivery app labels it “temporarily closed,” while other platforms still list hours or allow customers to schedule future orders.

That means the honest answer is not a simple yes or no: a permanent shutdown is not confirmed, but customers have good reason to ask questions before making the trip.

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Why people began asking whether The Blue Palm closed

The confusion starts with the name. The venue’s official Facebook page now identifies the business as Palms on Memphis, although the page’s address remains 5517 Memphis Avenue and the listed phone number remains (216) 860-1112. Other restaurant and delivery pages still use The Blue Palm name.

When Cleveland Boricua checked DoorDash, the listing said “temporarily closed” while still displaying a menu and an option to order later. That label can mean a restaurant has paused delivery, is outside its ordering hours or has stopped accepting orders through the platform; it does not, by itself, prove that the physical business permanently closed.

A customer review published in 2026 and displayed by Restaurant Guru added to the uncertainty. The reviewer described two unsuccessful attempts to visit—one when they said they were told the venue was closed despite signs of activity, and another when they said service never began after they entered. Cleveland Boricua cannot independently verify that account, and a single review is not proof of a shutdown. It does, however, reflect the kind of inconsistent customer experience that can fuel closure rumors.

The strongest evidence against a permanent-closure claim

The venue’s own social activity points away from the idea that it quietly disappeared months ago. The latest post publicly visible on its official Facebook page was dated July 17, 2026. Under the Palms on Memphis name, it promoted a free-entry Saturday with DJ Frank and DJ Lex and music including cumbia, bachata, corridos, salsa, reggaetón and dembow.

Separate event listings also show that the location was being used—or at least publicly marketed—for recent nightlife programming. Tickeri advertised a June 20 bachata event, and the platform sold tickets for “I Love Perreo: Lennox en Vivo” on July 25, 2026 at the same 5517 Memphis Avenue address. The July listing used “Palms on Memphis” in the venue details.

Those promotions do not prove that the dining room keeps regular hours today, and an event listing alone cannot confirm that every scheduled event occurred. They do show that the location was presenting itself to the public as an active nightlife venue in the weeks before this report.

Ordering apps and map listings tell different stories

The digital trail is unusually mixed. While DoorDash showed the restaurant as temporarily closed when checked, the venue’s direct online-ordering page continued to display an active menu and future ordering windows. Uber Eats also showed future ordering availability and weekly hours.

Apple Maps listed the business as open with hours extending late into the night on most days. Restaurant directories such as Restaurantji and Restaurant Guru also continued to publish hours, menus and contact details.

None of those pages is definitive. Third-party hours can be outdated, automated ordering systems can remain online after operations change, and a delivery pause can look like a closure. Taken together, however, the listings support a narrower conclusion: The Blue Palm/Palms on Memphis has not been consistently identified online as permanently closed.

What Ohio liquor records confirm—and what they do not

Public liquor records connect the location to Signature Lounge & Bar Inc., doing business as The Blue Palm, at 5517 Memphis Avenue. The permit number appearing in state records is 8143250. An official Ohio Division of Liquor Control fourth-quarter 2024 report lists the business and permit classes D2, D3, D3A and D6.

That historical record confirms the licensed business identity at the address in 2024; it does not establish the venue’s operating status in August 2026. Ohio’s Online Permit Application and Licensing system is intended to provide current permit information, but Cleveland Boricua could not independently retrieve a current operational-status result from the public portal during reporting. We therefore will not describe the liquor permit as active, suspended or canceled without a current state record.

Does “Palms on Memphis” mean a rebrand, a new operator or a different business?

That remains unanswered. Cleveland Boricua did not find an accessible public statement explaining whether the new name represents a straightforward rebrand, a management change, a shift toward event-only operations or something else. We also found no accessible announcement on the venue’s official Facebook page declaring a permanent closure.

It would be irresponsible to turn the absence of an announcement into a claim about ownership or finances. The public evidence supports only what can be documented: the social name changed, recent events were promoted, the address and phone number remained the same, and customer-facing listings disagree about availability.

So, did The Blue Palm close?

Our conclusion as of August 22: Cleveland Boricua found no verified evidence that the venue has permanently closed. The most recent official social activity and late-July event listings suggest the location remained active under the Palms on Memphis name. At the same time, the “temporarily closed” delivery label, inconsistent restaurant information and customer report make it impossible to confidently describe the business as operating on a normal, dependable schedule.

The fairest description is: its permanent closure is unconfirmed, and its current restaurant operations appear unclear or intermittent. Anyone planning to visit should call (216) 860-1112 or check the newest official Facebook post on the same day, especially before traveling for dinner rather than a specifically advertised event.

Why the answer matters to Cleveland’s Boricua community

The Blue Palm built recognition around Puerto Rican and Latin comfort food—including carne frita with tostones, mofongo, jibaritos, tostones locos and stuffed arañitas—alongside DJs, dancing and late-night events. Places like this carry more than a menu. They create a neighborhood room where Spanish is heard naturally, Latin music leads the night and Clevelanders can celebrate birthdays, meet friends and see Boricua culture treated as the center of the experience.

That is why uncertainty matters. When a culturally important venue changes its name or schedule without a clear public explanation, the rumor travels faster than the facts. Customers want to know whether they can still support the business, whether the kitchen is serving and whether Palms on Memphis is a new chapter or a different operation entirely.

The questions that still need answers

Cleveland Boricua invites the venue’s ownership or management to clarify:

• Is the dining room currently open on a regular weekly schedule?
• Is Palms on Memphis a rebrand of The Blue Palm?
• Are food service and nightlife events operating on different schedules?
• What are the current, verified hours?
• Has ownership, management or the liquor-permit status changed?

Before you go

• Current social-media name: Palms on Memphis
• Formerly listed as: The Blue Palm Latin Restaurant and Lounge
• Address: 5517 Memphis Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44144
• Phone: (216) 860-1112
• Status: Not confirmed permanently closed; current restaurant schedule remains unclear
• Best advice: Confirm directly with the venue before visiting

Did you visit the venue recently, work a scheduled event there or receive an official update? Share the date and details with Cleveland Boricua so this report can be updated responsibly.

Editor’s note: This investigation is based on publicly available social posts, event pages, ordering platforms, map listings, customer reports and government records checked through August 22, 2026. Cleveland Boricua will update this story if the venue or the State of Ohio provides a definitive current status.

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UPDATE — Aug. 22, 2026: The Blue Palm is closing for good

New reporting now answers the question raised in the original article. A person in charge of The Blue Palm/Palms on Memphis told Cleveland Boricua directly that the Memphis Avenue operation is closing for good.

The person said the operators intend to comply with the court-approved settlement and applicable court orders, forgo further proceedings in the case, leave the current operation behind and look toward other ventures. No new business name, location, opening date or concept was provided, so Cleveland Boricua is not reporting details of a future project until they can be independently confirmed.

What the official court record confirms

The related case is State of Ohio ex rel. Prosecuting Attorney of Cuyahoga County v. Signature Lounge & Bar, Inc., et al., Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court case CV-26-143817. Signature Lounge & Bar Inc. is identified in the filing as doing business as The Blue Palm.

The Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts case-search system shows that the case was filed on July 31, 2026, assigned to Judge Ashley Kilbane and marked inactive on Aug. 21, 2026. Readers can verify it by choosing “Civil Search by Case,” selecting 2026 and entering case number 143817.

An Agreed Judgment Entry filed Aug. 21 says the parties settled the action under an Aug. 20 settlement agreement. The entry says the court approved the agreement and retained jurisdiction to enforce it. It also says the application for a temporary injunction was withdrawn, the Aug. 20 hearing was vacated as moot, an Aug. 5 restraining order was dissolved and the action was dismissed with prejudice as to all defendants and all counts.

The entry also contains an important limitation: the court made no finding that a nuisance existed, made no finding on the allegations in the complaint and entered the order without an admission by any defendant. Cleveland Boricua is including that language because settlement of a case is not the same as a judicial finding that the allegations were proved.

What establishes the permanent closure

The agreed judgment entry documents how the court case ended, but it does not itself say that The Blue Palm closed permanently. The confirmation that the business is closing for good comes from Cleveland Boricua’s direct conversation with a person in charge of the operation.

The source said those involved will abide by the settlement and court orders, will not continue the legal fight and are looking toward other ventures. That means the earlier online signals described above—including event promotions, delivery menus and third-party hours—should now be understood as historical or potentially outdated, not as proof that the restaurant remains open.

Updated status: The Blue Palm/Palms on Memphis operation at 5517 Memphis Avenue is closing permanently, according to a person in charge who spoke directly with Cleveland Boricua. The related civil case is inactive following an agreed judgment entry. Cleveland Boricua will report any future venture when specific details can be confirmed.

Update note: The original investigation above is preserved so readers can see what was known before the direct confirmation and court filing became available. This update supersedes the original article’s conclusion that permanent closure had not yet been confirmed.