Outdoor dining coming to Grandpa Mac and Arena’s Pub

There’s no shortage of Coastal Highway restaurants in the Cape Region offering outdoor dining to customers. However, most, if not all, of those restaurants had their outdoor dining option included as part of an existing footprint or built as part of new construction.

Starting this spring, with the recent installation of concrete pads immediately in front, two more restaurants – Grandpa Mac and Arena’s Pub – will be added to the list providing that service. The two restaurants are among the first to be adding outdoor seating to already-established commercial space in the area’s strip malls.

Located in Harbor Square on the southbound side of Route 1 outside Rehoboth Beach, Grandpa Mac has been serving customers at that location since September 2016. Arena’s Pub has been their neighbor in food service since May 2022.

“The landlord offered it to Arena’s when they moved in next door and asked if we’d like to have a patio too,” said Grandpa Mac co-owner Orion Cameron. His brother Hari Cameron is the other owner. “We were like, ‘Heck, yeah. We’d love a patio.’”

Cameron said the plan is to install some nice heavy-duty planters to create the wall and then add some kind of shade option, like an awning or umbrellas. There are other ideas, but the first summer will be spent seeing how things go, he said.

“People like eating outdoors in the spring, summer and fall. We’re really excited,” said Cameron.

Next door, Arena’s General Manager Shannon Pyle said having an outdoor dining patio that allows dogs has been the plan the whole time. Most of the other Arena’s locations have outdoor patios, she said.

“Next summer customers will have the option of eating out on the patio,” said Pyle. “We think the customers will appreciate the addition.”

Prior to Arena’s, Taco Reho opened in the former Burger King property immediately next door to Grandpa Mac in November 2021. Cameron said their section of the highway has a little something for everyone.

“We’re all friends, and the new outdoor seating will just add to what we all have to offer,” he said.

The address for the Harbor Square development is 18756 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth Beach. Check the websites of Grandpa Mac, grandpamac.com, and Arena’s Pub, arenasdeliandbar.com, for specific hours of operation.