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Dewey Beach is getting another restaurant that is allowed to stay open late. Deerhead Hot Dogs will go in the Ocean Winds complex near Rita’s Ice and Mama Celeste’s pizza, and adds to the list of businesses operating with conditional uses.
Town council approved a conditional use to stay open until 3 a.m. at a Friday, July 13 meeting. Residents spoke against permitting another restaurant because of noise and crowd concerns. Town code states all businesses must close at 11 p.m., but some eateries are permitted to serve after bars close.
Owner Russell Applegate said the restaurant needs to stay open late to survive the short summer season in Dewey. “We’d like to institute our product again in Dewey,” he said. There are three locations of the hot dog store in Wilmington, and one store used to be in Dewey in the 1980s, he said. Applegate said he spends his weekends in town and wants to be a part of the business community. “We’ve rented a condo upstairs and we plan to be there every day,” he said. The hot dog restaurant will open on the corner of Route 1 and New Orleans Street, a plaza often crowded late at night.
Applegate said the pizza restaurant is open until 3 a.m., which is a good reason to let the hot dog eatery remain open.
Some residents at the meeting objected to the conditional use. Resident and planner Harry Wilson said, “Allowing this type of building certainly encourages late-night activity, and we’re trying to quiet late-night noise. I strongly urge you to deny this.”
But Applegate said Deerhead Hot Dogs could help reduce long lines of people waiting to get food after bars close. “We’ll move through that line twice as fast,” he said.
Resident Graham Smith said encouraging late-night eateries gives people a place to go after bars close.
“During the last administration, it was determined to let them stay open because it gives people somewhere to go instead of getting straight into their cars and driving home. It’s a positive influence,” he said.
Other audience members said all business owners should have the same rights and staying open late should be decided for everyone. Currently, Dewey Beach businesses must close at 11 p.m., unless they obtain a conditional use from town council. When the budget and finance committee met to determine business license fees, some officials said they are concerned business laws are pieced together and lack coherence.
Resident and planner David King said, “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to keep eateries open past 1 a.m., and this is an issue that council should address in a public hearing. It gives every business a disservice to decide this quickly.”
Commissioners unanimously voted to allow Deerhead Hot Dogs to open in Dewey and serve guests until 3 a.m. It will be open May to October seven nights a week.
Contact Molly Albertson at mollyalbertson@gmail.com
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