New Year’s Eve party marks final day of Sydney’s

Sydney’s Restaurant and Lounge in Paynter’s Mill near Milton closed its doors after one final New Year’s Eve party Dec. 31.

The restaurant announced the closing on its official Facebook page Dec. 30, thanking customers for their support and saying the New Year’s Eve party would be its final event. 

Co-owner Anthony Lewis said of the closing, “Some of our partners are retired from prior careers, and want to step back and spend more time with their families.”

Sydney’s opened in August 2020, just as COVID-19 restrictions began to ease. The restaurant and lounge was founded by Lewis, his brother Elton, Patricia Lewis and Ed Waples. One of the few Black-owned businesses in the Cape Region, Sydney’s served up classic American cuisine with a Southern twist. The lounge also played host to both local and national artists, serving as a host venue for the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival. Lewis said one of his finest memories of Sydney’s is witnessing the growth of the aptly named group The Young Adults, who would play monthly with local jazz musician Christy Taylor. 

“To us, Sydney's Restaurant and Lounge created an inclusive environment that welcomed everyone and all genres of music along with really good food. It also filled a void in the county for mature adults from all cultures and backgrounds to come together; it's something that we need more of in our lives!” Lewis said.

He said when the closing was announced, the owners were overwhelmed with calls, notes, text messages and visits, with the No. 1 question being: Where do you suggest we go for a similar experience? 

“For now, we don't have an answer for them, but let's just see what happens in the future,” Lewis said. “We sincerely thank our customers, our staff and our family for their unwavering support.”