The Queen adds open-air corner bar with retractable windows; patio also coming to Wilmington's Merchant Bar
Ryan CormierThe DECO food hall won't be the only downtown Wilmington spot with a new outdoor bar thanks to retractable windows.
Construction has been ongoing at The Queen music venue, which is building a new wraparound patio where concertgoers can eat and drink. It will be elevated like a deck.
The spot, where the theater's gift shop had been, tentatively will be called Knights on Fifth in keeping with the theater's royal theme. It will be dog-friendly and could be open as soon as mid-June, says Angela DePersia, assistant general manager of The Queen.
It will be open on non-show days: sun-drenched during the day and allowing for nightcaps under the stars at night.
In addition, plans are underway across Fifth Street at Merchant Bar to build a dog-friendly patio, but that is not expected to be ready until the end of the summer, says owner Andrea Sikora.
While the patio built above the sidewalk at The Queen is nearly complete, construction has recently begun inside where a bar will be built and tables and chairs will be moved in.
At first, the bar will offer the same line-up of beers, cocktails, wine and snacks that The Queen offers at concerts, DePersia says. Options may evolve over time, she adds.
The space, located behind the box office, was previously used as a gift shop. When Live Nation took over operations of the venue from World Cafe Live, they immediately pointed to the corner as a problem and hatched a plan to make it more lively.
Since both of The Queen's stages are hidden from view for passersby, the idea is to have a welcoming, open environment to give the space a shot in the arm and draw people into the hulking theater.
In addition to the new bar, a walk-up box office window has been built at the patio entrance facing Market Street. Concertgoers looking to buy tickets will no longer have to walk inside the venue, similar to Live Nation's Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia.
While Queen officials first announced the outdoor bar plan in June 2017, construction was delayed while waiting for proper permits from the city, DePersia says.
The Queen isn't the only under-the-sun fun at Fifth and Market streets.
Outdoor seating is also offered in warm weather months across the street at La Fia, the intimate bistro from Sikora and her chef husband Bryan Sikora.
Since Fifth Street is on a slope, most of Merchant Bar's patio will be elevated off the sidewalk, like at The Queen.
Got a tip? Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE QUEEN
Friday: Chris Robinson Brotherhood, $26
Saturday: Currie Wayne Clayton Jr., $22.50
May 24: Cracker, $25
May 25: Merry Pranksters Spring Happening, $35
May 25: Grunge Fest Unplugged, $15-$25
May 26: Drag Diva Brunch, $30
May 26: Led Zeppelin 2, $18
May 31: Revolution Radio: A tribute to Green Day, $7
May 31: Delaware's Got Next Music Competition, $15