Under the name Bigger Fish LLC, the restaurant group that merged with Big Fish Restaurant Group in 2024 has submitted a variance request to Sussex County related to the renovation of the old Arena’s restaurant that abuts Big Fish on Route 1 near Rehoboth.

Located on southbound Route 1, the space was home to Arena’s Cafe for nearly two decades before it closed in October 2024. Atlas Restaurant Group and Big Fish Restaurant group announced their merger in June 2024.

According to an application available on the county’s website, Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group is seeking two area variances to facilitate the renovation of the property. In a letter to the county for his client, attorney Glenn Mandalas said one variance has been requested to permit the outdoor dining currently located in the front of the property to be relocated to the side of the property within the side-yard setback. The other variance would be to allow a waiting area comprising a canopy and planter to encroach on the front-yard setback.

If the variances are granted, the outdoor dining in the front of the building will be demolished and a smaller outdoor dining area will be located at the side yard, which increases diner safety by distancing them from the active parking area, said Mandalas. A canopy area smaller in size than the existing outdoor dining area will be created in the front of the building to accommodate patrons waiting to be seated, he said.

The application says the space next to the building is an unattractive paved area where dumpsters are stored. Under the current proposal, the area will be converted to attractive outdoor seating, with the dumpsters being relocated out of sight.

The application says Atlas will own and operate the restaurant, but the land and improvements are owned by Bigger Fish LLC, which means the only option is to renovate the space within the confines of the existing property and structure.

“The decision to renovate the restaurant is a practical business necessity, and the resulting hardship in meeting setback requirements is due entirely to the preexisting physical conditions of the existing structures, and is not due to a self-created or manufactured situation,” said Mandalas. 

The Sussex County Board of Adjustment has scheduled a hearing on the variance requests for 6 p.m., Monday, April 27.