Newark's Main Street is 'wide open' for locals with UD students out of town: Our guide

Take a stroll on Newark's Main Street in the first week of September and you'll be swarmed by college-aged kids at every corner and every establishment you walk into.

But head to the same line of restaurants, shops and businesses during the summer months, and the downtown setting completely shifts.

“We got the town back; that’s how it feels," said Desmond Kahn, a Newark resident who along with Phillip Bannowsky, enjoys the opportunity to bike on Main Street and avoid long lines often seen during the school year at downtown restaurants. "There’s less traffic. It’s wide open.”

Between foot traffic and car traffic, the University of Delaware's premier area for restaurants and businesses is much more manageable and calm for locals to access. It certainly isn't empty by any means, but there aren't hordes of college kids at the bars during the weekends or prolonged lines at smaller food chains.

“During the semester, we like the kids, but it’s a little more hectic,” Kahn said. "They’re often pulling something, like getting drunk on St. Patrick’s Day. Or you can’t get in a restaurant because it’s mobbed with students sometimes.”

Summer is 'townie season' with UD kids away

Jon Townley, a resident of Newark, takes advantage of the summer slowdown and walks Main Street only when school is not in session. During the school year, it's just "too much traffic" to justify walking, he said.

He compared Main Street during UD semesters to how crowded and packed beaches like Lewes and Rehoboth are, though the latter is certainly worse in his opinion.

Last semester, UD had over 23,000 students on campus between its undergraduate and graduate populations. Main Street is a popular place for lunch and nights out on the weekends for students, along with increasingly becoming a spot to live with new apartment complexes on top of businesses.

So when the vast majority of students leave campus, Main Street is vacated, and the "townies" roll in.

Morgan DeMarco, director of social media and special events for Ashby Hospitality, which owns Deer Park, is well aware of what's commonly referred to as "townie season" in downtown Newark. Many locals flock to Deer Park for brunch, dinner and their preferred spot at the bar.

“We see all of our townies come back anytime there’s a break for UD," DeMarco said. "They know they’re gonna get that seat that they want.”

DeMarco said brunch is always a draw, along with an increased number of bikers stopping in during the summer season. And this summer, in particular, Deer Park is seeing high turnout for pitchers' nights and Friday nights, leading the establishment to add back a DJ on Fridays.

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It's a surprisingly high and consistent summer turnout for a place that's such a hit for students during the school year.

“I think people might just be short on their dime a little bit to do any traveling because of the economy," DeMarco said. "So I think a lot more people might be staying in the region.”

With students out of town, Newark blossoms into a hot spot for weekday lunches, for those working downtown or adults coming from the city's outskirts. Home Grown Cafe is one of the most popular destinations for a sit-down lunch on Main Street.

General manager Matt McConnell said the restaurant doesn't suffer too much when students leave since it is such a popular lunch spot for those in the area. He projected that the number of customers is 10% to 20% less than normal, though summer tours help offset the loss of thousands of students.

"Student tourists pick up in the summertime," McConnell said. "That causes unpredictable waves of business."

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Extra incentives to dine downtown

Back in January, the city of Newark doubled hourly parking rates in municipal lots from $1 to $2, along with increasing metered parking on streets to $2.25 an hour.

But with UD students out of town, those increases are no more until Aug. 15. Lot parking is back to $1 an hour, with street parking decreased back to $1.25 per hour.

The city is also running a series of concerts and beer gardens on Academy Street to bring some life to the downtown area near Main Street. Six Thursdays in May and June featured live music and beer gardens.

City spokeswoman Jayme Gravell says that the beer garden on Academy Street will return at the end of the summer, and also pointed to the Newark Food & Brew event on July 29 as an event that'll draw people into the downtown area this summer.

New dishes to look out for

Many restaurants continue their chef's specials and happy hour offerings during the summer just as they would during the school year rather than offering specific summer specials. However, some joints have found the past few weeks as the perfect time to update their menus and introduce new dishes to the table.

At Iron Hill Brewery, Executive Chef Brandon Fredericks said about 40 new menu items are set to launch in the coming weeks. One of his favorites is a short rib stroganoff dish that'll include mushrooms, pappardelle pasta, caramelized onion sauce and green onions.

"That one is very delicious, very flavorful and filling," Fredericks said.

Down the road a bit, Klondike Kate's reopened after a temporary closure to reboot their menu. New entrées include the following:

• Seared Tri Tip Pinwheel: tender marinated tri-tip beef, which includes roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and pesto

• Nashville Hot Honey Chicken: two fried chicken thighs with spicy honey

• Sweet Bourbon Salmon: roasted salmon with a sweet bourbon, brown sugar and butter glaze

• Blackened Fish Tacos and Chimichurri Steak Tacos

Kate's also added two new dessert items to their menu: carrot cake and berry cobbler. And one of their most popular specials continues to be $5 off all burgers on Mondays, no matter the time of year.

At Taverna, a new menu was also released this summer, which includes updated options for both lunch and dinner. A few of the new dishes are gnocchi genovese, corn ravioli, and cacio e pepe — an entrée with cavatelli pasta, black pepper and pecorino cheese.

Other businesses biding their time

While locals take advantage of the summertime to shop and dine in downtown Newark, some businesses have a noticeable drop-off, especially student favorites.

A popular hangout for UD kids is Brew HaHa!, a coffee shop that sits on the second floor of the Main Street Galleria, featuring an indoor and outdoor seating area to enjoy a cup of coffee and a breakfast bite.

But the bustling study spot is much more subdued over the summer, said Jillian Bruce-Willis, president of Brew HaHa! and Brandywine Coffee Roasters.

"It’s an extreme drop," Bruce-Willis said. "The moment the students move out, we go down to about a third of our sales.”

She said the Main Street location loses money over the summer months, but overall, it's worthwhile to stay open for the community and make up those losses during the school year.

Once mid-August rolls around, Bruce-Willis said it's always a challenge for her staff to gear up for a wild first couple of weeks when UD is back in session.

"It’s a challenge for the team, those first couple weeks," she said. "It’s a little jarring.”

But for now, some national chains, small stop-and-shops and coffee shops like Brew HaHa! have the opportunity to breathe, before the craziness returns to downtown when students make their way back for the fall.

The UD semester begins Aug. 29.

Contact Konner Metz at kmetz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @konner_metz.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Newark's Main Street open for locals with University of Delaware off