Delaware
What Iron Hill’s bankruptcy reveals about the pressures facing Delaware restaurants
She understands the kind of pressures that can lead a restaurant to shut its doors. Among the most difficult are the rising costs of supplies and ingredients.
“Las carnes están muy caras ahorita, demasiado cara la carne. Las carnes, el alcohol es demasiado caro también, antes no estaba tanto así”, ella dijo. “La verdad los los cambios los precios y los cambios que se ven en las compras son muy altas a lo a lo que es normal a lo que era antes”.
“Meat is very expensive right now, too expensive. Meat and alcohol are too expensive; it wasn’t that expensive before,” she said. “The truth is, the changes in prices and the changes we see in purchases are much higher than what was normal before.”
But what surprises her most is not the cost of ingredients — it’s the cost of labor. Running a team of nearly 20 employees, from servers and cooks to dishwashers and prep staff, comes with mounting payroll expenses that eat into monthly profits.
“Yo te puedo decir que para mí el mayor gasto tremendo que hay en mi negocio aparte de la comida, aparte del licor, aparte de la renta, aparte de los biles que incluye luz, incluye gas, incluye agua”, ella explica. “El mayor gasto que recibe mi negocio es el payroll. Es tremendamente sorprendente el payroll”.
“I can tell you that for me, the biggest expense in my business, aside from food, liquor, rent, and bills, which includes electricity, gas, and water,” she explained. “The biggest expense my business takes in is payroll. The payroll is tremendously surprising.”
To keep up with those rising costs, her restaurant had to make careful adjustments to menu prices, hoping to strike a balance between staying profitable and keeping customers coming through the door.
The Delaware Restaurant Association is aware of the industry’s challenges and has aimed to support local owners through training, policy advocacy and mentorship. Just recently, the association decided to go into different communities like the Latino community to see where it can better support its businesses.
“We’re learning what’s important to this community in opening restaurants and understanding that they need support,” Leishman said. “We’re also there to help support their growth and viability.”
Despite the difficulties, both share a common belief that local support makes the difference.
“Yo les diría que apoyemos que seamos solidarios y apoyemos a nuestra gente”, Lara Pulido dijo. “Porque si yo crezco, mi familia el día de mañana puede crecer … aunque sea solo de ir a comer una probadita de un postre o un appetizer también”.
“I think it’s important to support them,” she said. “Because if they’re not there, as we’re seeing with this recent closure … we’re going to miss them,” Lishman agreed.
RADNOR, Pa. – Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.
What we know:
Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.
Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.
Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend.
Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas
Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.
Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.
What they’re saying:
U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”
The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.
“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”
The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”
Lewes Polar Bear Plunge in Rehoboth Beach
Participants flock to the water at the Lewes Polar Bear Plunge, which raises funds for Special Olympics Delaware on Sunday, February 2, 2025.
Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.
“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”
The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.
The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.
Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.
Plunging for a cause
The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.
In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.
Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.
“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.
He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.
“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”
What is still occurring
While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:
Feb. 27
- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
Feb. 28
- noon to 2 p.m. Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
- 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.
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