Harry's Seafood Grill gets a new name, sign

Harry's Seafood Grill, a Wilmington Riverfront fixture since 2003, is getting a new name.

The eatery on the Christina River has been rebranded Banks' Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar.

On Monday morning, new white, blue and orange signs were being installed in the parking lot of the 101 S. Market St. restaurant.

Small changes have been ongoing for the past few months. The restaurant has some new chandeliers as well as new artwork and photography by Jim Graham featuring seashells.

Theatrical lighting will soon be installed.

"The transition to my brand is happening," restaurant chef/owner Dave Banks wrote in an email Monday to The News Journal.

"Is it a lifelong dream? I guess so," Banks told News Journal photographer Jennifer Corbett in a video interview. "I built a good brand around my name for 30 years."

The website, www.banksseafoodkitchen.com also was changed to reflect the new name and logo.

The sign says the seafood house, which seats 150 inside about 100 outside, was established in 2017.

In October 2017, Xavier Teixido and Dave Banks, the savvy team behind some of New Castle County's most popular and iconic restaurants, ended their almost 30-year culinary partnership.

Banks left his position as executive chef of Harry's Hospitality Group, which had previously run Harry's Savoy Grill in Brandywine Hundred and the Wilmington eateries Harry's Seafood Grill and Kid Shelleen's.

Banks became the sole owner of Harry's Seafood Grill at the Wilmington Riverfront and the Harry's Fish Market + Grill kiosk in the adjoining Wilmington Riverfront Market.

The eateries are no longer part of the Harry's Hospitality Group.

Teixido remains owner of Harry's Savoy Grill and Kid Shelleen's.

Banks and Teixido said the split was amicable. Talk of changes within the Harry's Hospitality Group began in spring 2017, Teixido said.

In October, Banks said he was planning some "dynamic changes" at the restaurant in the coming months.

While he did not plan on changing the seafood concept, Banks said he did not rule out changing the restaurant's name.

Teixido said he did not ask Banks to change the name.

"I said, 'Dave, it's your business and you're going to do what's best for your business.' "

Banks said the name of the seafood stall at the Riverfront Market also will be changed soon. He said it will be called Banks' Seafood Kitchen, Burgers and Barbecue.

Banks has been tweaking the seafood restaurant's menu for the past few months. He has added more raw tuna dishes and is expanding the raw bar options. The chef/owner also started a "second happy hour" beginning at 8:30 p.m., featuring half price draft beers.

The chef, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., first came to work for Teixido in about 1987 at the Columbus Inn in Wilmington.

At that time, Teixido was a partner in the 1492 Hospitality Group, a management organization that also operated Klondike Kate's in Newark and Kid Shelleen's in Wilmington.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico

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