Semra’s Mediterranean Grill expanding bar area
Semra's Mediterranean Grill in Rehoboth Beach has received permission from city commissioners to increase the number of bar seats from four to eight.
Commissioners unanimously approved the request during a permit-of-compliance hearing July 19.
City Building Official Matt Janis said the hearing was triggered because of a relocation and expansion of square footage to the bar area, with additional seats.
Located at 19 Rehoboth Ave., the restaurant opened in 2012. Describing Semra’s as an asset to the city and community, owner John Tekman said the restaurant made some renovations this past winter and is now looking to increase its bar space.
“We are a restaurant with a bar, not a bar with a restaurant, and we plan on keeping it that way,” said Tekman.
There is no outdoor dining, so no supplemental permit of compliance is needed, said Janis.
Henlopen Avenue resident Harvey Shulman was the only member of the audience to say anything and he spoke in favor of approval. It’s good to have different food options, he said.
“It’s nice to have a locally owned, locally run restaurant in Rehoboth. It’s not just a chain, and it has been around for a while,” said Shulman.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
