Dogfish prepares Finbar's for early 2016 opening
Finbar's on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach has sat vacant for nearly two years, but Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione said he hopes to have the space open in early 2016.
CEO Nick Benz said at an Aug. 22 permit of compliance hearing that Dogfish is planning to spend $1 million to upgrade the building, which was purchased by Dogfish in December 2013.
Calagione said the restaurant would be its own entity and would be part of the larger brewpub project. He said a menu has not yet been decided.
Dogfish has applied for an extension of the liquor license at the 320 Rehoboth Ave. brewpub with the Delaware Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission to cover the former Finbar's next door at 318 Rehoboth Ave. In a letter sent by Benz to nearby property owners as part of its application, the new venture is referred to as Chesapeake and Maine. The letter states Dogfish is requesting Chesapeake and Maine be listed on the same liquor license as the brewpub.
If the extension is successful and with no major changes to the floor plan, Dogfish would avoid a permit of compliance hearing with the city commissioners, a process that proved somewhat contentious at the Aug. 22 hearing on a permit for a new brewpub. The commissioners questioned whether the distillery on site was a permitted use and also raised concerns about how much of Dogfish’s distilling production is sold off-site. Although the Dogfish permit was approved, the commissioners have begun discussion on better defining brewpubs and permitted uses in the city code.
The main roadblock Dogfish could face is protest from neighbors before the ABCC; an application can be protested if the commissioner receives one or more protest letters with 10 signatures of property owners within one mile of the premises. Protest letters must be filed by Friday, Oct. 30.
While activity has begun at the former Finbar's, construction of the new brewpub project is still a work in progress. Calagione said at this point he does not know when the new brewpub would open, and there is no timetable on its construction at this point.
