Irish Eyes in Lewes reopened !
Irish Eyes, the popular Lewes restaurant and bar that was destroyed by arson in March, officially reopened Friday.
General manager Dana Smith was hoping for "a slower start," but it didn't turn out that way.
"We actually opened [Thursday] very quietly, but it wasn't that quiet. Word got out and we had a full bar at 11 a.m. and a full dining room until 1 o'clock in the morning."
Smith said regular customers, eagerly anticipating the reopening of the Anglers Road eatery that overlooks the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal, began taking seats Friday morning a half hour before service began at 11 a.m.
"Everyone is so excited to be together. They didn't have any place to go. There were some tears," she said.
In November, Lee D. Warrington, 22, of Lewes, pleaded no contest to setting the fire at Irish Eyes and then setting another fire the same night just outside Lewes.
Warrington was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in the two arson fires and two burglaries that night, but much of that sentence was suspended for probation. His actual time in prison will total about five years, with an additional 15 years of probation.
Investigators learned that Warrington had run out on a bar tab at Irish Eyes before the fires.
The night of the fires, he also went to Milford Memorial Hospital for treatment of burns on his face and neck.
A judge has ordered Warrington to pay restitution for the damage from the two fires.
The night of the March 26 fires, a cleaning lady arrived for work at Irish Eyes, saw the fire and called 911. The blaze lit up the Lewes waterfront and drew dozens of firefighters.
The rebuilt eatery is "definitely different because everything is brand new," said Smith, who has worked at Irish Eyes for 10 years. Customers hand-built the 30-seat bar. But she added, "The downstairs is pretty much the same size; we tried to keep the same feel."
What has changed is the photographs on the wall near the front entrance. The framed photos document the early morning blaze. Damage to the restaurant has been estimated at $1 million.
"We have pictures of the restaurant in flames and pictures of the firefighters," Smith said. "But once you get past the foyer, it's all happy."
Irish Eyes has 120 seats in the main dining room, and a second-floor dining area can seat 150 people. It's open daily, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., but will be closed Christmas.
source: delawareonline.com
