Celebrating new spaces for food and drink on Biddeford’s Washington Street

The Dunn Bar and Elegant Taco are poised to open up quickly at 12 Washington St. in Biddeford, and to celebrate, Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon reducing previous 7 days Tammy Wells Image

BIDDEFORD — In the temper for colcannon with a good steak or some seafood? How about bangers and mash — or a pint of Guinness or Smithwick’s?

Or probably it is a night for tacos or a burrito?

Before long, persons craving possibly — or equally — can partake when the Dunn Bar and Sublime Taco each individual open up in the Washington Road constructing in Biddeford that right until about a yr back was named the Wonderbar.

The two eateries share a single kitchen — Elegant Taco, a California-impressed avenue taco and Mexican cafe, is leasing house from Dunn Bar. Every cafe seats 55 customers.

There is a new look, with some nods to the previous, at 12 Washington Avenue in Biddeford, where the Dunn Bar and Elegant Taco are every single poised to open up shortly. Tammy Wells Image

Doug Darby and Ciel Caldwell procured the 12 Washington St. assets in 2021. On a new day, they, along with Steve Siders and Kaitlyn Gaudreau, proprietors of Chic Taco, snipped the ribbon in a celebration structured by the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s been a extensive haul via development,” said Darby. “A whole lot of wonderful people today aided and now we’re hoping we’ve crossed each individual hurdle.” Darby and Caldwell are hoping for an early June opening.

The Dunn Bar is named for Darby, who realized his relatives name experienced been Dunn ahead of it was transformed when his ancestors emigrated to the United States.

The Dunn Bar motto is “let the foodstuff be fresh and the spirits aged.”

Darby and Caldwell strategy to offer refreshing seafood from SoPo Seafood, located in a area mill setting up, home cheddar from Nibblesford, a specialty cheese retailer just throughout the avenue, floor beef from Pineland Farms, espresso from Time and Tide and the like.

“It’s about great, new foods,” stated Caldwell.

Although standard Irish beer and spirits are offered, an array of local brews will be on faucet as effectively.

The Dunn Bar has a cozy, warm feel within. It has been refurbished but there are nods to the previous, like an array of framed Wonderbar menus and a indicator.

The area had beforehand been owned by the Droggitis loved ones for many years — it was the moment a shoe mend store, became Charlie’s Cafe in 1935 and afterwards the Wonderbar, owned by brothers  Jimmy, Alex, Archie, and Charlie Droggitis. They offered the cafe in 1982 and it went via a few of homeowners till Vince Keely obtained it in 1992. Keely marketed the house to Darby and Caldwell a 12 months ago.

Elegant Taco is expected to open up quickly at 12 Washington St. in Biddeford right after outgrowing their previous Key Street place. Tammy Wells Image

Elegant Taco has its individual Washington Street entrance. Owners Siders and Gaudreau reported they too hope to open before long. Sublime Taco had been found on Primary Road for about a few decades, but outgrew the house, stated Siders.

Caldwell and Darby also have programs for the next story of the 12 Washington St. constructing. They are creating two, a few-bedroom apartments and a few, two-bedroom apartments, and hope to comprehensive them subsequent calendar year. The couple have about 40 apartment  models across the city and are also homeowners of LaundrYup, a cafe and laundromat on Hill Avenue.

Jim LaBelle, director of Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce, stated he is glad to see the evolution of the landmark.

“Biddeford’s latest transformation has been particularly noteworthy when historic buildings, this sort of as this famous Wonderbar location, are renovated and repurposed with a thoughtful appreciation of its prosperous earlier along with new and creative efforts to make this location the subsequent enjoyable hub in our community for generations to come,” he reported.

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