Bloomfield bar Brillobox announces closure

Another week of economic downfall during the pandemic, another local business forced to shut its doors. Brillobox, a bar at the intersection of Bloomfield and Lawrenceville, announced this morning it would be closing after 15 years.

Owners Lou Ickes and Janessa Walter announced in a Facebook post that they made the decision to close the bar.

"We are wrapping it up. We appreciate everyone that has been a part of Brillo, over the years. It’s been a great ride, but it’s time to move on. We love you all," states the post.

After working as longtime bartenders at Brillobox, Ickes and Walter took over ownership of the bar in 2016, from previous owner Eric Stern.
Brillobox was known for its drinks and food menu that included plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as its eclectic interior full of red leather booths, a projector screen playing old b-movies, and a shark sculpture affixed to the wall with Trump's head in its mouth.

The upstairs of the bar hosted everything from live music, to DJ sets, to, eerily, a dance night called Pandemic.

Brillobox opened up for takeout at the end of June before announcing it would be closing up once again on July 24. "Hopefully, we will see you later on down the road," the owners wrote in a July 24 Facebook post.