A sad farewell: Delaware restaurants and cafes closed for good due to the coronavirus
Delaware restaurant dining rooms, closed since March 16 because of the coronavirus, were allowed to reopen on a limited basis on June 1.
But the loss of revenue for the past 10 weeks apparently has been too devastating for some operations.
The Delaware Restaurant Association predicted that 20 to 30 percent of restaurants in the state would likely close permanently because they could not overcome financial hardships.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This list was updated June 18.
Here are some restaurants and cafes that are going out of business:
Nal Restaurant in Hockessin
Owners Ruben and Miriam Peregina had grand hopes of bringing foods from Brazil, Peru, Argentina and their native Mexico to their new restaurant in Hockessin when they opened two years ago.
The dinner-only restaurant at 1304 Old Lancaster Pike, across from the Wawa store, was named Nal after the Mayan god of maize (corn).
The pair, first-time restaurateurs, renovated a former barbershop into a sophisticated, minimalist 40-seat eatery.
On Thursday, the couple announced the restaurant was permanently closing “after a deep evaluation of our current situation and the near-term economic outlook.”
The Pereginas thanked customers for their support in a note posted on therestaurant’s Facebook page.
Half Baked Patisserie in Middletown
A Facebook post on June 8 said the business at 13 W. Main St. was closing after eight years. “It’s no secret that being a small business owner comes with endless challenges. There are battles we have won, and some we have lost,” the post read. “The time has come that we will lock our storefront up for the last time and focus on what matters most, our family.”
Last day of business is June 10. Owners said “all pre-existing confirmed orders will be honored. “
JB Dawson’s at the Christiana Mall
The restaurant at the mall, operating for the past 10 years, announced June 4 that it would not be reopening. It has been closed since March.
A Facebook post read:
“It is with heavy heart to tell all of our loyal customers of our Christiana Mall JBD’s that we will not be re-opening this location. We had a great 10 years but we will not be renewing our lease.
We are sorry to disappoint of our wonderful customers but with Covid-19 we had to make this very difficult decision.
Sincerely,
J.B. Dawson’s Staff