A Wilmington-based hospitality group is now running a decades-old Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Italian restaurant, known for its loyal regulars.
Jamestown Hospitality Group, which runs Tonic Seafood & Steak in downtown Wilmington and Park Cafe near Wawaset, was approached in late 2022 about acquiring Giordano’s, a family-run restaurant at 633 E. Cypress St. that has been a part of the Kennett dining scene for more than 40 years.
“When the Giordano family approached us with an opportunity to purchase their beloved restaurant, we knew we had been entrusted with something truly special, and we take our responsibility to the family, food and fanbase seriously,” said Jamestown Managing Partner Paul Bouchard in a prepared statement.
“We share their passion for quality and consistency, and we are committed to upholding their legacy on every plate that we serve,” he said.
According to Bouchard, staff from the Wilmington hospitality group spent several weeks learning the Giordano business, as well as its family recipes. The Wilmington group also has retained skilled staff members and “decades of tradition.”
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A new menu will feature many of Giordano’s classic dishes and some added options. The restaurant has undergone renovations and hours for the sports bar have been extended until midnight. The bar also will feature live performances by various local artists.
Jamestown was founded in 2015 by longtime friends Chris Blackwell and Paul Bouchard. In 2021, the group reopened the former Movable Feast café as Park Cafe after a complete overhaul of the site that’s tucked off an area at 2510 W. Fifth St. (It’s across from the back entrance of the Wawaset Plaza strip center.)
A year earlier, Jamestown revamped Tonic on West 11th St. in downtown Wilmington, increased its space, redesigned the dining rooms, changed the menu and tweaked its name
Jamestown also runs the restaurant Deep Blue at the Kitty Knight on the Sassafras River in Georgetown, Maryland, as well as a catering and event planning company.
Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@delawareonline.com and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico.
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