Wilmington restaurateur Scott Morrison, 54, dies
Death leaves the fate of current and future Wilmington restaurants in question
- Wilmington restaurateur Scott Morrison died over the weekend of an apparent heart attack.
- The Connecticut native came to the attention of developer Buccini/Pollin Group years ago.
- He opened Chelsea Tavern at 821 N. Market St. in 2010, followed by Ernest & Scott at 902 N. Market St. in 2012.
Wilmington restaurateur Scott Morrison, owner of Market Street's Chelsea Tavern and Ernest & Scott Taproom, died over the weekend of an apparent heart attack. He was 54.
The Connecticut native opened the Pan-Asian restaurant Nectar in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, when he came to the attention of Rob Buccini, partner of Wilmington developer Buccini/Pollin Group.
Buccini, who was not immediately available for comment Monday, recruited Morrison to Wilmington, where he opened Chelsea Tavern at 821 N. Market St. in 2010, followed by Ernest & Scott at 902 N. Market St. in 2012.
Those two restaurants were planned as anchors in Buccini/Pollin Group's ongoing effort to redevelop sections of Market Street into a mix of retail and residential options aimed at young, upwardly mobile workers in the city's downtown law firms, banks and other offices.
At the time of his death, Morrison also was working with Buccini/Pollin Group on 3 Doors Brewing Co., a microbrewery and restaurant planned to open on Market Street this spring, along with a 200-seat beer garden near Chelsea Tavern.
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"All he did was support Market Street," said Joe Van Horn, the operational owner/general manager of Morrison's Delaware restaurants. "He was a real good guy, who was extremely family-oriented and very involved with his children."
Morrison is survived by two teenage daughters. His wife, Jennifer, died in 2012 from breast cancer. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Morrison's death leaves the fate of his current and future Wilmington restaurants in question. He also owned or co-owned other restaurants in Pennsylvania.
"We need to figure out his estate first and sit down with the landlord [Buccini/Pollin Group]," Van Horn said. "I don't think the restaurants are going anywhere, and I don't think this is going to stop what he had going on. I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen."
A native of Westport, Connecticut, Morrison attended public school before earning a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant administration from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
He later moved to New York City and Philadelphia's Main Line before settling in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
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Morrison on Saturday evening reportedly called another restaurateur to cancel their standing Sunday coffee because he was not feeling well. His body was discovered by a family member on Sunday morning.
Van Horn said he learned of Morrison's death about noon on Valentine's Day.
"I couldn't tell anyone because what we were in the middle of, with the holiday rush," he said. "It was very tough to keep it in."
Word of Morrison's death began spreading on social media Monday morning, soon after Van Horn notified staff at Morrison's two Delaware restaurants via email.
“It’s tremendously sad. It’s jarring," said Dan Butler, who owns the Wilmington restaurants Tonic Bar & Grille and Piccolina Toscana.
“We shared a passion for downtown Wilmington,” Butler said. “What always impresses and thrills me are when people who are accomplished in other places than downtown Wilmington come to downtown Wilmington. That lends credibility to us.”
Sean McNeice, the former head chef and part-owner of Chelsea Tavern, said he was deeply saddened to learn of Morrison's death.
"It's horrible," he said. "He was hilarious but also a very shrewd business guy. He was just a good dude."
McNeice said he was introduced to Morrison by Dogfish Head Brewing Co. owner Sam Calagione while still working as head chef for Mikimotos Asian Grill and Sushi Bar on North Washington Street. At the time, Calagione had been talking to both men about their respective plans to open a Wilmington eatery.
"The next day, Scott called and asked if I wanted to talk about opening something together," said McNeice, now a culinary teacher at Howard High School.
"He was great at recognizing good talent," he said with a laugh.
In addition to Nectar, Morrison's Pennsylvania restaurants included Tango in Bryn Mawr and Basil in Paoli along with former ventures Avero in Devon, Floret in Radnor and Maia in Villanova.
Morrison took a chance in opening Chelsea Tavern in Wilmington. The location had once housed 821, a critically acclaimed, upscale Mediterranean restaurant that closed its doors in 2008.
The gastro-pub with more than 140 beer choices quickly became a hit while Morrison became a fixture on Market Street, supporting both the local artists who played in the restaurant and nearby arts venues. Within two years, Chelsea had received numerous Best of Delaware honors, including Best Restaurant in Downtown Wilmington, Best Sunday Brunch, Best Draft Beer Selection and Best Fun Restaurant.
Yet many thought Morrison might be overplaying his hand when he began eyeing the former Public House, shuttered in late 2011, for a second beer-friendly restaurant barely a block away from Chelsea Tavern.
Banking on the booming popularity of Delaware's craft beer movement, Morrison pushed ahead thanks, in part, to support from Calagione. The now-successful, 150-seat restaurant took its name from writers Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who lived in Delaware in the early 1920s.
"Scott came here early and took a big chance on Market Street," said Will Minster, the business development director for Wilmington's Downtown Visions. "I know he had a hard time making it work at first, but he stuck it out and built a couple of very good businesses."
Minster, who called Morrison a "driving force" in the revitalization of downtown Wilmington, said the restaurateur's death is a shock to the entire community.
"It just came way to early," he said. "He died before he got a chance to see his restaurants have the really great success I know is coming as more people move to Market Street. It really bums me out."
Calagione called Morrison an "evangelist for the indie craft brewing community."
"He was a very dynamic and gregarious and passionate guy and it shined through in his businesses and relationships," he said via email. "I will be raising a pint to him tonight.”
Despite the loss, both Chelsea Tavern and Ernest & Scott Taproom were open Monday.
"I know Scott would have wanted the show to go on," Van Horn said. "We're all in complete shock, but he wouldn't have wanted us to close."
Contact business reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel. News Journal reporter Patricia Talorico contributed to this report.