Delaware diners were already mourning the loss of a longtime Rehoboth Beach coffee shop when three more familiar restaurants disappeared.
The latest loss was one of the state’s most acclaimed independent dining rooms. Another served Trolley Square families for approximately three decades, while the third was Delaware’s only location of a once-prominent Caribbean-themed chain.
The House of William & Merry in Hockessin
The House of William & Merry announced its closure July 26 after 15 years in Hockessin.
Chef Bill Hoffman and his wife, Merry Catanuto, operated the upscale restaurant inside a converted 1922 farmhouse at 1336 Old Lancaster Pike. Its open kitchen, intimate dining room and frequently changing New American menu made it one of Delaware’s most distinctive special-occasion restaurants.
Hoffman became a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2022. The restaurant emphasized locally sourced ingredients and combined modern presentations with French culinary techniques.
The owners said the closure was not caused by poor business or a lack of commitment from employees. They simply felt it was time to begin a new chapter.
That explanation may offer some hope that Hoffman and Catanuto will eventually return with another project. For now, however, one of Delaware’s most celebrated dining experiences is gone.
Café Verdi in Wilmington
Café Verdi permanently closed its Trolley Square restaurant as its owners entered retirement.
The casual Italian restaurant occupied 12A Trolley Square and served pizza, pasta and traditional Italian entrées for approximately three decades. It welcomed dine-in customers while also developing a substantial takeout, delivery and catering business.
Its greatest strength may have been familiarity. Regulars were greeted by name, families returned for dependable meals and the restaurant remained accessible without feeling like a national chain.
That loyalty became particularly visible as customers returned after pandemic restrictions. Café Verdi’s owners described regulars as extended family members they had missed seeing.
The restaurant’s website now thanks customers for “30 wonderful years.” Whatever the exact anniversary count, the message is clear: Trolley Square has lost one of its longest-running casual restaurants.
Bahama Breeze near Christiana
Delaware’s only Bahama Breeze closed as parent company Darden Restaurants eliminated the entire brand.
The restaurant near Christiana offered jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, seafood, tropical drinks and Caribbean-inspired dishes in a colorful dining room designed to feel like an island escape.
Bahama Breeze was a national chain, but its Delaware restaurant filled a local niche that few competitors occupied. It was especially popular for group dinners, happy hours and celebrations that called for something less formal than a steakhouse.
Darden announced that half of the remaining Bahama Breeze restaurants would close permanently while the others would eventually become different company-owned concepts. Delaware’s restaurant was among those selected to shut down.
It closed earlier than the two independent restaurants, but its absence became more noticeable this summer as the Bahama Breeze name disappeared nationwide.
Together, these closures remove three very different experiences from Delaware: ambitious farm-to-table dining, neighborhood Italian comfort food and a tropical casual-dining destination. None will be particularly easy to replace.
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