Wilmington Mayor Invites Patrons To 'Dine On Delaware' Beginning This Weekend

From the City of Wilmington:

August 14, 2020

Restaurants to offer outdoor dining along Delaware Avenue beginning today as “Curbside Wilmington” expands to the Trolley Square neighborhood

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki encourages residents and visitors to support local restaurants in the Trolley Square section of the City this weekend as a number of eateries begin offering expanded outdoor dining along Delaware Avenue starting this afternoon and continuing through Sunday, weather permitting. The new “Dining on Delaware” initiative kicks off today and will result in the closure of Delaware Avenue between North Clayton and North DuPont street as well as North DuPont Street and North Scott Street beginning at 4 p.m. as dining tables are set up curb to curb.

“Dining on Delaware” is an expansion of the “Curbside Wilmington” initiative launched in June to assist local businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage patrons to return to the Downtown District over the summer. That ongoing effort, which enables Downtown restaurants to expand their outdoor dining into former parking spaces directly in front of their establishments, is the result of a partnership between the City of Wilmington, Downtown Visions, and The Committee of 100. Just like their counterparts downtown, participating Trolley restaurants will be able to offer more seating at safely spaced distances in accordance with Governor John Carney’s guidelines. A list of participating restaurants is included at the end of this release.

“When we began ‘Curbside Wilmington’ back in June, I said then that I hoped to see this new business re-opening model applied to other restaurant districts in the City,” said the Mayor. “I’m very excited that we are now able, with the support of Councilmember Charles “Bud” Freel, to expand this effort to Trolley Square, another exciting and vibrant part of our City that has also been hit hard by the coronavirus in recent months. As we all struggle to adapt to the new environment, I hope you’ll join me along Delaware Avenue this weekend as we show our support to area businesses and the many workers they employ.”

"I want to thank Mayor Purzycki and the City for their tremendous help and their overall support for local businesses during this pandemic,” said event organizer Joe McCoy of Catherine Rooney’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. “We're all excited to offer safe outdoor dining to everyone coming into Trolley Square on the weekends now and into the fall."

Motorists are advised that beginning today, Friday, August 14, 2020, Delaware Avenue will be closed at Clayton, DuPont, and Scott streets, though cross traffic will continue to flow across the avenue from each of these streets. Barricades and signage will be established at all three locations and motorists are encouraged to select alternate routes and avoid the area on weekends from 4 p.m. Fridays until 10 p.m. on Sundays. The City’s website contains a real-time map that is updated daily so you can follow any other traffic changes in the coming days.

Participating restaurants include:
Catherine Rooney's Irish Pub & Restaurant
Trolley Tap House
Island Fin Poke
Gianni's Pizza
Cafe Verdi
Kelly's Logan House
Trolley Square Oyster House
Bar Roja
Crow Bar

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.