Outdoor dining approved for Sirocco in Rehoboth Beach

Coast Rehoboth Beach’s restaurant Sirocco has been approved for outdoor dining on Rehoboth Avenue.

During a commissioner meeting Sept. 15, Rehoboth Beach commissioners unanimously approved a supplemental permit of compliance for the restaurant, allowing five four-top tables along the Rehoboth Avenue facade of the building. The restaurant’s original permit of compliance was issued in November.

New Castle County developer Harvey Hanna purchased the property in late 2021. Among other properties, Harvey Hanna also owns the Hyatt House Lewes/Rehoboth Beach on Route 1 near Lewes and the Hyatt Place in Dewey Beach. TKO Hospitality operates all three hotels.

Attorney Vince Robertson represented applicant TKO Hospitality President Vince DiFonzo during the meeting. Outdoor dining has always been part of the plan, said Robertson. He said it’s located along one of the widest sections of sidewalk in Rehoboth, and the outdoor seats will add to the high-end hotel and restaurant.

Coast has an address of 123 Second St., but as part of a top-to-bottom renovation of the space that used to be the Sandcastle Motel, the main entrance to the hotel and restaurant was rotated to Rehoboth Avenue.

Prior to approval, the only discussion point was the size of dining space.

As proposed, the space was 10-feet-6-inches wide and 37-feet-7-inches long, for a total of 394 square feet.

Mayor Stan Mills pointed to city outdoor dining requirements that say the space can be no more than 8 feet wide. He also suggested adding 3 feet to the length so the patio entrance is closer to the building door that servers will be using. DiFonzo, who was in attendance, agreed to the recommendations.

Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski asked if the additional space lengthwise meant the restaurant could add another table.

Mills said yes, but DiFonzo, who said there’s no plan to add the outdoor dining until the spring, declined to change the plan any further.

After approving the supplemental permit of compliance, commissioners approved a license agreement for the dining patio since it’s on the city sidewalk. The license agreement expires Dec. 31, 2024.