Surge in diners, dives and eateries gives Middletown a choice in dining

The News Journal

MIDDLETOWN — A decade ago, if you drove down U.S. 301 in the Westown area, you would have seen farmland, trees and a giant flat space waiting to be turned into an auto sales hub.

Middletown native Scott Lawrence remembers that when he was a kid in the 1970s, the town had a Dairy Queen, Tastee Freeze, Pappy's Pizza and perhaps a sandwich shop.

"Those were the only places here for quite a while," Lawrence said. "To get a good steak or anything other than pizza, hot dogs or fried chicken, you would have to drive somewhere else. And you definitely had to travel for special occasions."

No more.

Those once-open spaces in Westown have been replaced by retail, industry and dining choices that make even the most ardent foodies happy.

Laura and Bill Spence eat at The Greene Turtle in Middletown with their daughter, Samantha. In their 14 years as residents, they've seen the area's dining options expand almost as rapidly as the population.

The restaurants — both chain and locally owned — followed the explosion of residents in the past decade. And not just in the Westown area. Eating establishments started popping up downtown and in a number of strip malls along Main Street and Del. 299.

Today, 70 restaurants varying in size and offerings — from Chik-fil-A to Texas Roadhouse to Vino Vita at Fromage Culinaria — all cater to those who call Middletown home.

Many of the newer ones, including the Greene Turtle, Kiku Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, Vino Vita, Chipotle, Panda Express, Rigatoni's Famous Crab Cakes and Texas Roadhouse, have stayed crowded and often have lines waiting for seats.

"If you like fast food, you now have an abundance of choices," said the 56-year-old Lawrence. "We're foodies who don't eat out much, but when we do go out, we have choices now."

Ron Prescott was one of the people whose family moved in from Pennsylvania a decade ago.

Sitting in a booth with his son at the Greene Turtle last week watching March Madness, the head Middletown High School junior varsity boys basketball coach had nothing but good things to say about the town's dining options.

"When we came here 10 years ago, there was pretty much Buffalo Wild Wings, Ruby Tuesday's, Applebee's and Friendly's," he said. "Since then, you can find any type of food you want.

"And the sports bar options have grown so much that when there is a big event, we pick based on specials."

The Greene Turtle is one of the latest chain restaurants to call Middletown home.

Prescott, who lives near Middletown High School, likened Middletown to a resort town where a lot of restaurants are centrally located and easy to get to.

"I can walk from my house for a good meal, or I can drive five minutes and be in Westown where there are plenty of places to choose from," he said. "There are so many options."

The roster of restaurants includes nearly two dozen "local" joints, more than 25 chain restaurants, nearly a dozen pizza places and close to a dozen restaurants offering Chinese or Mexican cuisine, according to Middletown Chamber of Commerce data.

That doesn't include the number of gas stations like Wawa that serve food or the coffee shops like Dunkin' Donuts that offer hot food choices.

Owner Kent Chen opened the popular Kiku Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in July 2017.

Where others see an explosion of choices, Middletown Mayor Ken Branner sees the mix of local and corporate restaurants as the fulfillment of the city's longtime plans to attract places to eat as the population grew.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Middletown’s population was just 3,754 in 1990 and 6,161 in 2000. It skyrocketed between 2009 and 2010 from 12,726 to 18,968 and then increased 5.5 percent to 19,910 between 2010 and 2014, according to the census.
The population rose to 20,420 in 2016 and is nearing the 21,000 mark now, with no end to the growth in sight.

"We wanted people to stay here and not have to leave to get a good dinner," he said. "These restaurants support growth no matter if they are local or chain. All of them draw others."

Bill Spence has lived in Middletown for 14 years and said the arrival of the Super Walmart more than a decade ago started the retail influx.

"There are so many options in Middletown now," said Spence, sitting at the Greene Turtle last week enjoying a meal with his wife, Laura, and his daughter, Samantha. "It's been a good improvement. If you know what you want, you can find it here."

Yet, he and his family still talk about what cuisine isn't offered in Middletown. They have a wish list of restaurants they would like to see, including Pizza Hut, Steak 'N Shake (reportedly coming in late 2018), Zaxby's, Moe's Southwest Grill and perhaps more local Italian restaurants.

"I wish we had a family pizza shop where they throw the dough up in the air," Spence said. "There is a little authenticity to a family-owned pizza place versus a chain pizza shop."

Chip and Pat Yedinak of Galena, Md., (left) sit at a table as Andy Ling cooks at Kiku Steahouse and Sushi Bar in Middletown.

They are not the only ones with a wish list.

Asked on Facebook about dining options and whether people liked chain restaurants or locally owned eateries, there was a range of answers.

"It would be nice to have some choices that weren't chain restaurant food," Catherine Fry Pearce said.

Facebook commenter Walter Janocha wants more fine dining.

"I need to drive into Wilmington for something nice," he said. "You can't find a place that serves fresh fish and the stock reply to what your house special is 'You've got to try our burgers.'"

Location was on the mind of commenter Dawn Alexander Schatz: "I'd love to see more restaurant options downtown similar to 1861 or Cantwell's (Odessa), but also a good soup and sandwich shop."

Janet Van Dyke Margherita agreed: "[We] need something on Route 13. Everything is on U.S. 301."

Chip and Pat Yedinak aren't complaining. They make the 10-minute drive from Galena, Maryland, often to take advantage of the number of eating establishments.

Sitting down for a hibachi meal at the always crowded Kiku Japanese Steakhouse last week, Pat recalled coming to Middletown after he moved to Galena in 1998. Westown was all fields, he said.

"Now there is so much to do here," he said. "We come to Middletown for everything and love the choices in restaurants."

Local vs. chain

Chuck Sullivan likes to joke that his place – Sully's Irish Pub at the Witherspoon – and Tom Foolery's Restaurant & Bar are Middletown's real local places and everybody else is new and just joining in.

He shares the belief that people have different tastes and will choose local eateries or chain restaurants based on their appetite and cravings.

But he's banking on people choosing local more often than not.

"There is just a great influx of people who are looking for that local neighborhood joint where they feel comfortable," Sullivan said. "I see a lot of people come through those doors, which leads me to believe Sully's is that place."

While the restaurants follow the people and people follow their favorite eateries, it's no secret that restaurants are big business. They are the largest employer category in the state, with about 1 out of 10 people working in a restaurant.

According to Carrie Leishman, president and CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association, restaurants add vibrancy to any community, regardless of whether they are family-owned or corporate-owned.

Restaurants also have a huge economic impact, she said. While Leishman said she can't pinpoint the impact in Middletown, the state sees a $3.8 billion annual impact from local and chain restaurants.

"I love them all," she said. "I'm an equal opportunity restaurant lover. They are all very valuable to our state's economy. I look at chains as fearless trailblazers for new, local owners."

As a lifelong Middletown resident, Mayor Branner knows the tremendous growth in population and industry has contributed to the success of area eateries.

"When you have 2,500 employees at Amazon and 4,000 manufacturing jobs, they all go out to lunch on occasion," he said. "Those people alone have helped many of our restaurants remain successful."

Kiku Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar opened last summer in Middletown.

Kent Chen, the owner of Kiku Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, said it was the growth not only in population but also the number of restaurants that brought him to Middletown.

He knew when he opened Kiku in July 2017 that it could be successful. He said he doesn't worry about the chain restaurants that surround his steakhouse but focuses on what he can do to draw and keep customers.

"We're different and we just do our best," Chen said. "We're doing well and continue to grow, just like Middletown."

Chuck Sullivan of Sully's Irish Pub at the Witherspoon in Middletown.

Even with the influx of people and eateries, Sullivan believes he has an advantage over Middletown's chain restaurants.

"I'm a bartender that owns a pub, so on any random Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, I get all of the waiters, waitresses and bartenders from those chains," he said. "I don't care about their customers so much; I'll just take their staff. It's worked out very well for us."

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Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.