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The popular Lewes restaurant will be taking over Jake’s Seafood House on Route 1.
Agave Mexican Restaurant is bringing their signature margaritas and guacamole menu to Rehoboth.
Known for two-hour waits and lines around the block for their authentic Mexican cuisine in Lewes, Agave will be expanding their horizons on Route 1 in Rehoboth in 2021—where Jake’s Seafood House, which closed in September 2020, served patrons for three decades.
“We’ve been talking about opening a second location for five or six years, and now we’re finally doing it,” says Chris McKeown, owner.
Originally, McKeown and co-owner Mike Firetti were eyeing a location in downtown Rehoboth, but ultimately decided that Jake’s was a better fit.
“It’s an awesome location, and with how big it is, we’ll be able to do things we’ve never done before like catering, weddings and other events,” McKeown says. “We’re going to do breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s basically going to be a 24-hour operation.”
Firetti and McKeown say they’re honored that former Jake’s owners, Bill and Lowis Klemkowsi, sold their community staple to them.
“To honor them, we’re going to take the Jake’s location to an entirely new level, and I think it’s something the people of Rehoboth are pretty excited about,” Firetti says.
With the new location, Agave will have seating for between 300-400 people (after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted)—which is massive compared to their intimate Second Street location. They will also have two large outdoor dining areas and 175 parking spots.
For anyone concerned that the new location will feel like Jake’s with a different name, or that it’ll be lacking the intimacy that the Lewes location provides, McKeown and Firetti want to inform you that won’t be the case.
“We’re really excited to surprise everybody with what we’re going to do there because we’re going to do a pretty large tear-down and rebuild,” McKeown says. “It’s a very big project, and we’re going to be doing things we’ve never done before.
McKeown and Firetti also assures that the cozy ambiance Agave boasts will still survive in a larger location.
Firetti says that McKeown’s wife and fellow owner, Jocelyn, is spearheading the design for the new restaurant and everyone who’s seen a sneak peek has not been disappointed.
“She has done a spectacular job, and I can honestly say that every person I’ve shown the designs to, their jaws have dropped,” Firetti says.
With the new space, McKeown and Firetti are hoping to raise the bar for the entire restaurant scene.
“I think our customers are going to be totally blown away with the agave emersion experience,” Firetti says.
And Agave isn’t stopping at Rehoboth. Firetti says they are also looking for locations in Middletown, Wilmington and in Maryland.
“Our goal is expansion, and we want to bring Agave to more and more patrons,” Firetti says.
