Longtime sports bar and restaurant, Tailgates, is no more.
Patrons reported the long-running establishment at Harmony Plaza at 4126 Ogletown Stanton Road closed its doors on Sunday.
Tailgates had operated for two decades at the busy strip center near Christiana Hospital, JPMorgan Chase, Delaware Park, and other large employers.
Tailgates was known for a spacious layout, massive bar, veteran bartenders, and a menu that featured wings and sandwiches. Entertainment included DJs as well as dance parties and line dancing.
Its history spanned a key period in the bar-restaurant industry that included the state banning smoking in bars and restaurants in 2002. Some predicted the ban would lead to the closing of many establishments.
The number of bars and restaurants remained steady and even increased in recent years as the economy recovered.
Chains with a sports bar theme, such as the Greene Turtle, Miller’s Pub and Buffalo Wild Wings also expanded into northern Delaware. The area has even seen bars with no food open under “Famous” and other names.
The biggest impact from the smoking ban came at casinos, an area of the hospitality industry where a large portion of the clientele continues to smoke.
There has been no move to allow smoking in Delaware’s casinos, even though revenues have continued to slide, due to a growing number of venues outside the state.
Atlantic City restored smoking to its casinos after a sharp downturn in the business that led to a number of establishments shutting their doors and never reopening.
