Station on Kings in Lewes seeks liquor license

Station on Kings owner Leisa Berlin said she was surprised to learn an application for a liquor license was protested for her new Lewes café/bakery on Kings Highway. 

She said she’s always planned to offer wine and beer to accompany her light fare menu.

“It was never my intent to slip in a liquor license,” she said. “I personally don’t drink, and I don’t want a bar here. Nobody’s coming here to hang out and drink.” 

Berlin said she is not seeking to serve hard liquor, just wine and a few local beers. 

“Cheese is going to be a big thing for us,” she said. “We just want wine with the cheese. I feel that I’ll probably sell five glasses of wine a day.”

As far as beer, she said, she envisions folks coming off the bike trail that runs behind Station to stop in for a refreshing brew. 

“I think it’s just been a big misunderstanding, and I’m sorry for that,” she said. “If anyone had come to me at the beginning I could’ve explained.”

Robert Wiest, deputy commissioner in the Office of the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner, said Berlin’s request is for a permit to serve beer, wine and spirits. She is also seeking a permit to serve on a patio and on Sundays. There is a separate permit available that allows only the serving of beer and wine. 

The liquor license application will go before the Alcohol Beverage Control commissioner at its meeting set for 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 13. Neighbors protesting the application did not respond to requests for comment. 

Berlin said Station on Kings isn’t a formal restaurant. There are no servers, and tables are first come, first served. To order, patrons must go to one of three kiosks in the café’s community retail area. Then, their meal, coffee or pastry is brought to them at their table. 

“The initial vision and concept in my head has never varied,” she said.

Berlin said the restaurant component is not her main focus. She said her goal is to bring a great bakery to Lewes. She also wants to be known for having the best coffee in Delaware.

“We trained our baristas for two months on the coffee,” she said. “They’ve had training from people coming down from Philadelphia. It’s very important to me that our coffee is the best in Delaware.”

The Station on Kings also features a fairly large retail area, where patrons can buy decor, home gifts and gourmet treats. It also has a two bedroom apartment upstairs, in which Berlin’s daughter, son-in-law and their son reside. 

In the spring, Berlin said she plans to open a garden center in the outdoor space next to the café, where folks can buy perennials, annuals, pots, outdoor trees, bags of soil and other gardening supplies. 

Berlin and her family have taken on quite a few ventures in Lewes. Berlin also owns Edie Bees on Second Street, while her daughter Sarah McKeown owns Nectar on Neils Alley and her son Chris McKeown owns and operates Agave on Second Street. Berlin’s daughter Laura McKeown and her son-in-law moved from California to help open the Station on Kings. 

“Everything I have done in the town has always been done with Lewes in mind,” she said. “It’s not for personal gain. It’s not for selfish reasons. It’s to better the town.” 

Berlin said the property was zoned commercial when she purchased it, and under that zoning she could have built many businesses that would’ve been undesirable to neighbors. Instead, she said, she built something that the town’s residents can enjoy.

“People are thanking us for building this, and I think it’s an asset to the town,” she said.

Station on Kings is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours will extend beginning Memorial Day. For more information, go to thestationlewes.com or call 302-645-0300.