Monica Zielinski – Online Editor
As the fire continued to spread throughout the century-old building, patrons and tenants were evacuated onto the street, away from the burning restaurant and apartment building.
Junior Ben Brown was at home, picking up some last minute things before moving on campus, when he saw Snapchat and Instagram photos from a friend who was the last one to leave Delaney’s before they closed the doors and the fire department arrived.
In one of the pictures, Brown said his friend “was holding a plate of buffalo wings in front of the burning building and the caption read ‘Bye-bye Delaney’s.’”
“It was kind of bittersweet because it was a funny social media thing to do,” said Brown, “but at the same time I was like, ‘Aw, damn. There goes Delaney’s.”’
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the building on Whalley Avenue, which housed five families and Delaney’s Restaurant and Taproom, was torn down after a fire on Monday afternoon deemed it a “total loss” by the fire chief.
The fire allegedly began in the basement and investigators suspect the fire was caused by electrical issues.
Back on campus, students and faculty heard about the news as they headed back to school for the start of the new semester.
“You don’t really hear about fires,” said Brown, “especially this close to campus in New Haven.”
“Everyone who knew the place was just like, ‘Yeah, I heard,” said Brown. “They all had that affirmation of, ‘We all have to suffer through this one together.’”
Brown, who had been going to Delaney’s since he was 13 years old, said the Westville restaurant had a “really great atmosphere and was filled with great people. It’s a terrible loss.”
For patrons who came to Delaney’s for the buffalo chicken tenders and American burgers, the General Manager of Delaney’s, Sarah Donroe, who is working at Stone Hearth, the owner’s second restaurant, will be offering several of Delaney’s menu favorites.
“As Delaney’s was burning,” said Donroe, “people were saying ‘Oh no, what about my favorite bleu cheese? Where am I going to get buffalo tenders?’ So, we have to do it. We’re missing it too. I’m having buffalo sauce withdrawal.”
Stone Hearth will also be honoring Delaney’s Happy Hour Chips for happy hour. Donroe said anyone who has their happy hour chips saved up can bring them to Stone Hearth for the same deal.
Donroe said Delaney’s was like a second home to the employees who worked there for a long time, but also to the patrons as well.
“It’s amazing how loyal great customers are,” said Donroe. “It’s nice seeing so many familiar faces here at Stone Hearth and it just shows what a nice community Westville is.”
Southern student, Meagan Howard, said she has been going to Delaney’s for eight years—at first with her family, then after every soccer game once she came to Southern.
“We would all go there as a team sometimes and just about everyone except for the freshmen has been to Delaney’s,” said Howard. “One of girls is from Spain and she just arrived two weeks ago and that was the first place we took her. After the game that week, we didn’t know where to go.”
Both Brown and Howard said Delaney’s provided a family-friendly and comfortable dining experience. Both said the restaurant’s loss had an impact on them and it will surely be missed.
As for the fate of the restaurant, Brown said he would like Delaney’s to be rebuilt.
“I don’t think I would still call it New Haven if it didn’t come back again.”
Photo Credit: Bernt Rostad
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