Big Fish to expand in Wilmington’s Trolley Square neighborhood

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The  Big Fish Restaurant Group  is “all in” when it comes to the Trolley Square neighborhood in Wilmington.

Delaware Online  reported that the Rehoboth Beach-based hospitality company bought the Scratch Magoos and OldBanks restaurant sites on Delaware Avenue.

Scratch Magoos, a popular night spot, and restaurant closed after a nearly two-decade run. OldBanks opened relatively recently with a concept that included fried chicken, pizza and craft beer.

A reopening of the locations is expected in 2019, with work underway on coming up with a restaurant that would complement its successful Trolley Square Oyster House.

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The Trolley Square area, named after its location on the city’s long-extinct streetcar line,  has remained popular over the decades as a residential and nightlife destination, despite the long-running problems of the City of Wilmington.

The area remains a walkable neighborhood with restaurants and an Acme supermarket.

Areas around Trolley Square are also seeing the redevelopment, with a large apartment complex under construction at a former shopping area (Stuart Kingston)  site on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Little Italy neighborhood.  New apartments and homes are also going up at the former Bancroft Mills site.

This comes in addition to a wave of development on the Riverfront and downtown.

Big Fish got its start with its namesake restaurant in Rehoboth. The company added other restaurants in the Lewes-Rehoboth area and opened a still-popular Big Fish on the Wilmington Riverfront. A Big Fish was later added north of the Delaware line in Concordville, PA.

The company also operates a wholesale seafood business, bakery, events and catering operation

From the Riverfront outpost, Big Fish purchased secured space that became the Oyster House and then added  Washington Street Ale House and Mikimotos following the death of Wilmington restauranteur Darius Mansoory during a trip to Cuba. A shuttered coffee shop on the property near Wilmington Hospital was remodeled and reopened as Harvest House.

Along the way, Big Fish operated the Bella Coast Italian restaurant for a time but turned over space on Concord Pike, north of Wilmington to the Coastal Sussex chain,  Taste of Italy.

Big Fish and managing partner Eric Sugrue are also part of a hotel project now under construction adjacent to the Big Fish Riverfront restaurant.

Kennett company, Big Fish announce plans to build riverfront hotel

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