Nalu granted permit of compliance for Rehoboth

Rehoboth commissioners unanimously approved a permit of compliance for Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grill during a meeting Oct. 19.

The restaurant will be located at 41 Rehoboth Ave., which was most recently a Wilmington University satellite for 17 years offering continuing education courses.

This will be the second Nalu, the first opening in Dewey in 2007. Owner Regan Derrickson said the Dewey restaurant had been making good food and been a good neighbor, and he was looking forward to creating the same thing in Rehoboth.

According to a Sept. 27 report prepared by city Building Inspector Damalier Molina, the restaurant will be open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., 7 days a week, and there will be no outdoor seating; and there will be 122 seats in the dining area and 22 seats at the bar.

Derrickson said the property was purchased in May and interior construction had already started. He said he hoped to have the restaurant open by April 2019.

After first saying he missed taking classes at the college, Commissioner Stan Mills asked Derrickson if there were any plans to play live music.

Derrickson said there were no plans for live music, except during Jazz Fest or other special town events that he would like to participate in like other restaurants.

When it came to public comment, nobody in the audience stood in favor or against. This prompted Commissioner Kathy McGuiness to lean back in her chair, smile and say, “Wow, you’re getting off easy.”

Commissioner Toni Sharp said she found the approval of the permit a pretty straightforward process.

Commissioner Richard Byrne said he had eaten at the Dewey restaurant a number of times and enjoyed it.

In the seconds immediately following the approval, the two dozen members of the public in attendance clapped in approval.