The Bayou Boys have announced the closure of their popular cheesesteak and pierogi brand, Wiz Kidz, at two locations in Pennsylvania. The restaurants located at 65 E. Elizabeth Ave. in Bethlehem and 751 Union Blvd. in Allentown are currently not in operation. The Allentown site permanently closed in late December 2023, while the Bethlehem location is classified as “temporarily closed,” according to co-owner Mo Taylor.
Wiz Kidz was co-founded by Taylor, Cristian Duarte, Jerry Straub, and Matt Weaver in the fall of 2018. Originally based on the first floor of the Pinnacle@65 building in Bethlehem, the brand gained popularity for its nostalgic decor reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s and its signature sandwiches featuring a unique cheese blend. Over the past six months, the partners have been weighing the possibility of selling the Wiz Kidz brand along with its recipes and the Bethlehem building.
“It remains up in the air a little bit,” Taylor stated regarding the future of the Bethlehem site. He added that a decision should be reached within the next few weeks. This uncertainty follows significant changes within their business operations, including the transfer of the pierogi recipes to their production team to ensure the continuity of that product line.
The Bayou Boys initially met over a decade ago while working at the now-closed Starter’s Riverport Restaurant in Bethlehem. After that establishment shut down in 2013, they decided to pursue their own ventures, which have included various restaurants in the Lehigh Valley. The Allentown site is the second Wiz Kidz location to close in under a year. The Madison Farms shopping center location in Bethlehem Township ceased operations in April 2025 and subsequently shifted its operations to Allentown.
Though the Madison Farms location was popular, Taylor emphasized that the decision to close was driven by overlapping delivery services between Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township, as both sites are only five miles apart. In addition, the owners closed their downtown Easton location of The Bayou Southern Kitchen & Bar in August 2025, citing a consolidation of their full-service operations. That location has since become home to Rios Brazilian Steakhouse, which relocated from Nazareth.
Despite these closures, the partners continue to operate The Bayou Bethlehem: Southern Kitchen & Bar at 702 Hawthorne Road in Bethlehem, a restaurant launched by Taylor and Duarte in 2014. As the situation evolves, the future of Wiz Kidz remains uncertain, but the Bayou Boys are committed to maintaining their culinary legacy in the region.
