Purple Parrot in Rehoboth looks to expand

One of Rehoboth Beach’s most popular restaurants wants to enhance its license to chill. The Purple Parrot Grill, 134 Rehoboth Ave., is looking to expand into the cottage house behind it at 41 Wilmington Ave., which requires a permit of compliance from the city commissioners.

A permit hearing is likely to be held at the Friday, Feb. 19 commissioners’ meeting. Hugh Fuller, co-owner of the Purple Parrot, said: “I have had an affinity for the Rehoboth Beach cottages ever since my first endeavor with the Iguana Grill nearly 20 years ago. I always wanted to open all the way through to Wilmington Avenue when I bought our current location and even built our kitchen in the hopes that one day that would happen. I have been trying for about five years, and finally the right opportunity came to be.”

Fuller said the addition would be open mainly for the late shoulder and summer season, although he hopes it will be longer. Fuller said the expansion will better accommodate large crowds that come to the Parrot in the summer.

“Our main focus is lunch and early dinner. Currently the waiting line in the summer may get to be an hour or more, and we lose quite a bit of people because they do not want to wait. Our current dining area is less than 1,500 square feet. With the addition, we will add just less than 950 square feet. That will be a huge help to us and our clientele,” he said.

Fuller said the main reason for expanding is to help benefit Wilmington Avenue.

“I think by opening up back there and creating an opening to Rehoboth Avenue, it just might bring some much-needed life to the second block of Wilmington Avenue,” he said. “There are some great businesses back there, but not enough attention gets drawn to that street. Hopefully with myself and others that are moving in, all that will change.”

Expansion would allow the restaurant to add 174 seats – 106 in the interior dining room, 14 at the bar and 54 in the patio/garden area. Patrons will be able to access the Wilmington Avenue side from Wilmington Avenue and via an expanded walkway from Rehoboth Avenue. A second walkway will allow employees to access the Wilmington Avenue location from the kitchen.

“We plan on splitting the menu and making the back much more casual, if you can get that, making it more beachy with sand, lots of palm trees, maybe some water features, just a very open tropical feeling,” Fuller said.

Purple Parrot will also add brick-oven pizzas, fresh soft tacos, grilled fish and kabobs, and possibly a multi-burger menu. The current menu will be completely revamped, Fuller said, to represent the new addition and new look.

Fuller said he hopes to have the new Purple Parrot open by May, if everything goes right, and have all the kinks worked out by summer.

“We will have the lively energy of Rehoboth Avenue and the tranquility that Wilmington offers. So, whatever you are looking for, you will find it,” he said. “I am sure it will be as much of a part of Rehoboth Beach as the Purple Parrot and other establishments have become. We have taken pride in serving our community for the past two decades and look forward to serving it for many more to come.”