Wilmington's Newest Luxury Hotel: The Quoin

Exterior of The Quoin. Located at 519 Market St. Photo courtesy of Method Co.

Downtown Wilmington is booming. Nearly every season a new building, restaurant, or store is popping up in our vibrant community. One new project in particular has Downtown residents and workers especially excited: The Quoin, Wilmington’s newest luxury hotel.

Coming in late summer 2022, The Quoin, located at 519 Market Street, will boast 24 luxury hotel rooms, a lobby fireplace cafe & bar, a 155-seat ground floor restaurant with courtyard dining, a lower-level cocktail lounge, and Wilmington’s first rooftop bar and event space. 

Guest room rendering. Photo courtesy of Method Co.

Method Co., a Philadelphia-based hospitality company behind acclaimed projects, such as Philly’s beloved Wm. Mulherin’s Sons restaurant & hotel, and the recently opened Charleston hotel, The Pinch, along with The Buccini/Pollin Group, are reviving the former historic Security Trust & Safe Deposit Company Building into a stunning boutique hotel.

Method Co.’s goal for The Quoin is to honor the history of the Security Trust & Safe Deposit Company Building, a four-story Victorian Romanesque brownstone designed by the renowned Philadelphia architect, Frank Furness, while adding a new and lasting hospitality landmark to the fabric of Downtown Wilmington, Delaware.

The Quoin derives its name from the Old French word meaning “corner” or “angle.” The name connects the history, location and architecture of the building through a single thread, as quoins are most common in Western architecture, particularly Romanesque styles.

Rendering of the lobby. Photo courtesy of Method Co.

The hotel’s three distinct culinary concepts will be operated by Method Co. The Quoin Restaurant will focus on fresh wood-fired fare that celebrates craftsmanship and simplicity in a space designed to honor the history and architecture of 1800s Wilmington while serving as a modern-day sanctuary to rendezvous with all sorts. 

Rendering of the 155-seat restaurant. Photo courtesy of Method Co.

The Quoin Rooftop will be the first rooftop bar and lounge in Wilmington serving as the perfect spot for happy hour, social gatherings, and light fare.

Rendering of the first rooftop bar in Wilmington. Photo courtesy of Method Co.

The hotel’s craft cocktail lounge will emphasize a low and slow atmosphere, featuring the space’s original brick ceiling and a custom, room-spanning painted mural by the Reverend Michael Alan.

Rendering of the craft cocktail lounge. Photo courtesy of Method Co.

Randall Cook, CEO and Co-Founder of Method Co., shared his enthusiasm on being part of the It City Next Door: “We are incredibly excited to build on all the momentum that is underway in the city of Wilmington and to be part of bringing one of the region’s most iconic buildings to life.”

The Quoin will welcome its first guests on September 15, 2022. Visit their website for more information on Wilmington’s newest luxury hotel.

Downtown Wilmington's Restaurant Scene is Exploding

Wilmington’s fine dining scene is exploding. With barely a chain in sight, independent restaurants are taking over – rivaling the Philly dining scene. Make sure to support your favorite Downtown restaurants participating in the 17th annual City Restaurant Week (May 23-28) Sample a variety of different cuisines at lunch ($15) and dinner ($35), gratuity not included.

View participating restaurants and their unique offerings. Reservations recommended.

In celebration of City Restaurant week and Downtown’s independent restaurants, we reached out to Executive Chef and Partner of Le Cavalier, Tyler Akin to discuss the Independent Restaurant Collaition (IRC), a group he co-founded to save independent restaurants during the pandemic, and share a behind the scenes look into the IRC x Wilmington dinner series.

Tyler Akin

Chef-Partner of Le Cavalier and Co-founder of the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

Image courtesy of Neal Santos.

“D-Day. The Reckoning. The Day That Restaurants Closed. The end of the “before-times”. March 16, 2020 has been called many things. As restaurateurs, chefs, managers, servers, cooks, dishwashers, and everyone in between grappled with this catastrophic moment, so too was the Independent Restaurant Coalition already being birthed. Industry luminaries like Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Mark, Jose Andres, Kevin Boehm, Tom Colicchio, culinary super agent Andrew Chason, Andrew Zimmern and a few others had the foresight to gather and organize in the face of COVID’s existential challenge. It was a moment of dire uncertainty amidst mass closures and the founding members of IRC realized that independent restaurants nationwide—uniquely vulnerable to this kind of shock—needed their own voice in Washington as federal relief programs began to take shape. 

The twice-daily Zoom meetings included many chefs and restaurateurs who were my own heroes in this difficult profession. Those sessions became a mixed format of commiseration, group therapy, and, most importantly, crash courses in non-profit fundraising and congressional policymaking. We immediately discovered an important, albeit perverse, lesson: it costs a lot of money to have a loud voice in our democracy. Deep commitment, mobilization, and organizing alone don’t buy access and good counsel. As various viral surges ebbed and flowed, IRC’s initial underwriters and politicians alike came to believe that the worst of the pandemic was over. The checks got smaller and our elected representatives began to ask questions like “Didn’t you get two rounds of PPP?” and “Aren’t you busy again?” But the devastation was only just beginning to become clear, with tens if not hundreds of thousands of restaurants closing and the survivors being newly saddled with massive debts that were incurred to weather all kinds of local dining restrictions and obliterated consumer sentiment.

So when Dave Pollin and Rob Buccini of The Buccini/Pollin Group said they wanted to tell a story to the world that Wilmington is a city of independent restaurants, it felt natural to make IRC itself the beneficiary of this effort. Enter IRC x Wilmington, a 5-part series of dinners and brunches taking place from December through March at Downtown Wilmington independent restaurants. We paired celebrity chef founding members of IRC with local chefs in order to remind the community just how vital these establishments are to the community’s economy and culture, and to spotlight the fact that some restaurants had benefited from the initial, underfunded round of the SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). But the fight had always continued, with Washington having left so many behind while giving a lifeline to others in a tragically randomized process. Not all of the city’s indies hosted, but they were all with us in spirit. 

These events brought Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio, Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern, Raleigh’s Ashley Christensen, Portland’s Gregory Gourdet, and New York City’s Russ & Daughters for one-time-only dining experiences that the community so clearly craved and embraced. They all sold out almost as soon as tickets were released, at prices as high as $275 per person. Those chefs collaborated with Antimo DiMeo of Bardea, Dwain Kalup of La Fia, Jen Carrol of Spice Finch, Dan Sheridan of Stitch House, Jim Burke of the forthcoming boutique hotel project on Market street, and myself. Many of them stayed for a few days and enjoyed the attractions in our own backyard of which we are so proud, and I know for a fact walked away from the visit with a new appreciation for Wilmington. 

The result? Over $100,000 raised for IRC to continue its fight for independent restaurant relief. And notably, with the help of Foxglove Communications, regional and national recognition for Wilmington’s thriving independent restaurant scene. If the RRF does get replenished—which we still hope it will—the critical funding provided by this series will have played no small part in that outcome. Wilmington should be proud!”

Experience the flavors of North Africa and Provence created by Chef Akin at Le Cavalier. Click here to view the menu or make a reservation.

Celebrating Black History Month in Wilmington, DE

Ernest Green Interview at the Wilmington Public Library

The month of February dedicates its 28 days to recognizing and celebrating African-Americans

and honoring their contributions to society. During the month, Downtown Wilmington

businesses are hosting special events to educate, remember, and celebrate African Americans’

achievements throughout history.

The Living Legend Series

The Wilmington Public Library is hosting The Living Legend series for Black History Month.

• Ernest Green | Feb 17 

  Ernest Green is one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African American students who, in

  1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at the segregated Little Rock

  Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Green was the first African American to

  graduate from the school in 1958.

  Green’s interview will be with CNN Commentator Bakari Sellers.

• Pam Grier | Feb 23

  Actress Pam Grier is best known for her portrayal of tough and sexy crime fighters in the

  1970s genre of “blaxploitation” films such as ‘The Big Bird Cage’, ‘Coffy’, ‘Foxy Brown’

  and ‘Sheba Baby’. Her later work in the 1998 film Jackie Brown earned her a Golden

  Globe nomination. 

  Tonya Baynes will be moderating the conversation.

Clifford Brown Year Around  | Feb 18

Rekindle the love in your life this month with Clifford Brown Year Round! On 2/18 at the

new CSC Station, enjoy performances by Maya Belardo, Nadjah Nicole, Jea Street

(and many more!) as they answer the question “How Do You Sing Love?” Buy your

tickets today!

 A virtual link will be available for those who cannot attend in person.

The Negro Spiritual: An Afternoon Event at SsAM | Feb 19

These songs have become deeply embedded in American culture and modern faith, songs whose creators — often enslaved Black Americans — have gone largely unacknowledged, their names lost to time. Featuring the Wilmington Children’s Chorus and narrated by Bebe Coker.

Free parking in the church parking lot. Click here for directions.

The event will be live-streamed for those who cannot or choose not to attend in-person here at our church. Click here to view SsAM’s YouTube Channel.

A free-will offering will be collected from those attending.

LaFate Gallery: Black History Month Diverse Perspectives | Until Feb 26

Award Winning Folk Artist, Eunice LaFate presents a month-long exhibition called “Black History Month…Diverse Perspectives.” The exhibition features art representing a range of perspectives and moments in Black History.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11AM-5PM

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Local Black-owned Businesses

Take some time this month (and all year) to shop and eat at local Black owned businesses in Downtown Wilmington. Below are a list of Black-owned businesses you can help support! 

Amity Bistro | 209 N Market St

Opened in October of 2021, enjoy classic breakfast options and American favorites for lunch and dinner. You crave it, Amity Bistro will provide.

Artzscape | 205 N Market St

Artzscape is an innovative performance and event space for theater, music, comedy, poetry, art, and social events.

Evelyn’s Soul Food | 1409 N King St 

From breakfast to dinner, Evelyn’s Soul Food has you covered. Stop by and grab some delicious soul food that’ll keep your tummy happy all day long.

Green Box Kitchen | 400 N Market St & DECO

With the goal of making healthier eating uncomplicated and easily accessible, Green Box Kitchen offers cold pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, buddha bowls and much more!

LaFate Gallery | 227 N Market St

Opened in 1993, LaFate Gallery presents a collection of contemporary, traditional, and folk art that reflect Caribbean and American landscapes.

Milk & Honey | 239 N Market St & 807 N Union St

A coffeehouse, gallery, and venue space, Milk & Honey is where the community gathers, and memorable events are held. Make sure to try their famous flat white and one of their many sandwich options.

Morgan’s of Delaware | 222 Delaware Ave

Dress to the nines with the help of Morgan’s of Delaware. The boutique carries a range of clothes and accessories fit for uptown elegance to downtown edge.

Tasties 302 | 825 N Market St

Tasties 302 offers a selection of mouth-watering soul food from southern fried chicken, beef short ribs, and their famous alfredo pasta. Dine-in and take-out options available. 

The Sold Firm | 800-B N Tatnall St

Founded in 2019, The Sold Firm features modern and contemporary emerging, talented visual artists. Their exhibits address a diverse range of cultural subject matters.