Bossier City’s Short-Lived Experiment: The Rise and Fall of Tom + Chee

In 2015, Bossier City was treated to the Tom + Chee experiment, a grilled cheese and tomato soup restaurant that got its kickstart after an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank. For about 3 years, it was Louisiana's only restaurant like it, but it didn't last. Let's take a look back and see if we really knew what we had before it was gone.

What Is Tom + Chee?

While Tom + Chee left Bossier City behind in 2018, there are still a few locations across the country. The closest location to the SBC is over 300 miles away in Oklahoma City. Tom + Chee's bread and butter has always been grilled cheese and soup, but never just plain sandwiches and soups.

The first claim to fame Tom + Chee really had was the Grilled Cheese Donut, which is almost exactly what it sounds like. Other favorites include grilled cheese sandwiches with added bacon, barbecue sauce, chicken, ranch, beef, eggs, and whatever else may have been on the seasonal menu.

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What Happened to Bossier City's Tom + Chee?

It was announced in January of 2018 that Tom + Chee's location in Bossier City would be closing its doors for good at the end of the month. Bossier City only got to experience Tom + Chee for about three years, but as the business owners pointed out in their announcement, there just wasn't enough business in the city to keep them open. Another speculated reason was the fact that the entire Tom + Chee company was dealing with financial turmoil around the time.

Dedicated fans flocked to the restaurant in its final days, but in the years since, the name has been mentioned less and less. Bossier City's dance with Tom + Chee didn't lead to much in the long run, but anyone who ever tasted one of the grilled cheese donuts will never forget those moments from Tom + Chee.