While a thorough accounting remains elusive, we know for certain that much of Main Street’s charm has been due to generations of Blue Hens who stepped up and built their own businesses here, beguiled perhaps by the laid-back vibe and small-town vibe. This small sampling gives an idea of what that impact has been.

Among the most prominent places is Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant. Kevin Finn, BE02M, would grow a homebrewing hobby into a beloved regional chain, starting with his first scratch brewery and craft kitchen, which opened in 1996 at 147 East Main Street. 

Down the street in either direction are a pair of mainstays: Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, owned by Jim O’Donoghue, AS91, and Lee Mikles, EG90, and Caffé Gelato, owned by Ryan German, BE00, and revered by students as a go-to place for dinner with the parents.

Another Blue Hen has for years stood at the leading edge of Main Street’s ongoing shift toward healthier dining: Sasha Aber, AS98, opened Home Grown Cafe in 2000 and has since solidified its standing as a veggie-friendly, arts-oriented destination.

And, of course, the Deer Park hotel-turned-bar, purchased and renovated by Bob Ashby, BE77, in 2001. “There’s a lot of history here,” he says of the famed restaurant. “It’s a part of the fiber that connects people to Newark and to UD.”