Chaps Pit Beef north of Rehoboth Beach closes doors

Roughly five years after opening in early 2019, the first Chaps Pit Beef in Delaware has closed.

Located north of Rehoboth Beach in Coastal Station on Route 1 next to Iron Hill Brewery, the Baltimore-based franchise was brought to the area by co-owners and brothers Chris and Gary Desch.

The restaurant announced its upcoming closing Jan. 15 on its Facebook page.

“After nearly 6 years of BBQ'n for our beloved community, Famous Chaps Pit Beef of Rehoboth will serve its last customer on Sunday 1/21. This week, we hope all the amazing people we've become friends with over the years will join us for one last drink and laugh together. We want to go out on a happy note,” the post says.

It’s unclear what’s next for the commercial space, but something appears to be in the works.

For a couple of weeks now, the Cape Gazette has been running a public notice from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner announcing that Chaps Pit Beef has applied for a 13-foot extension to the bar, plus an additional seven bar seats. The notice says the applicants are doing business as The Local.

Neither of the Desch brothers could be reached for further comment.