Rigby’s set to open in mid-May

Rigby’s, which has taken over the space formerly occupied by Partners Bistro in Rehoboth Beach, is the fulfillment of a promise by owners John Black and John Glenstrup to their friend, Robert Hammond.

“He was our best friend for years,” Glenstrup said.

“He was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago and this was one of his favorite spots,” Black said. “He toughed it out for four years, and then he died Nov. 8, which was just about the time that they closed the bar. And John Glenstrup thought, ‘You know, this is something that we need to do. It was his spot; we can’t let that bar close.’ That was kind of what motivated us to move forward with this place.”

Glenstrup and Black took over Partners a month and a half ago and plan to keep the flavor of the local bar and grill.

“It has a very nice community feel. We really thought it would be really important to keep a bar that not only caters to the local community but to the tourists as well,” Glenstrup said.

Rigby’s is the first restaurant venture for the duo, although Black’s family has been involved in the business for many years, and Glenstrup has extensive bartending experience.

While the bar will remain mostly the same, the food menu will be totally changed. For chef duties, Rigby’s hired Theo Lipkins, a protégé of chef Matt Haley.

“We’re going to keep some of the same ideas they had at Partners, just changing the concept of it,” Lipkins said. “The idea of the menu is going to be kind of an eclectic bistro. We’re going to try to stay as regional and local as possible with our products. Trying to keep with that farm-to-table approach with the things we do here.”

Lipkins said the flavors would be Mediterranean but with an American approach.

“There will be French technique in our cooking style, but it will be very American in what we do,” Lipkins said.

He said the menu would evolve on a continual basis, changing with the seasons.

Glenstrup said Rigby’s will use fresh ingredients and everything will be homemade.

“Essentially, everything will be made from scratch,” Lipkins said. “We’re not going to take anything out of a can and throw it on a plate.”

The 3 to 7 p.m. happy hour that Partners was known for will continue under the new owners.

“People who want a place to eat between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. when most restaurants are closed and they don’t really have an option, we’re going to provide them with some decent food to have on their way to whatever establishment they may be going to or if they just want to stay here, hang out and have a bite to eat,” Glenstrup said.

He said almost everything on the menu will be under $20, and the bar will have daily specials.

The restaurant is undergoing some cosmetic changes, including improvements to the kitchen, patio, bathrooms and main dining room.

Black said Rigby’s should be open by the second week of May, if not sooner.

At first, he said, Rigby’s would be open seven days a week from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. but eventually keep the hours of 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

“We want to bring in the new people, while keeping the old people happy,” Glenstrup noted. “We want them to feel welcome and have the sense of a local establishment.”

Rigby’s: 404A Rehoboth Ave. - Call: 302-227-6080