Hannah Carroll

hcarroll2@dmg.gannett.com

A huge entertainment venue is coming soon to Delmarva.

Lefty's Alley and Eats, located next to Dartmouth Plaza on Coastal Highway in Lewes, will officially open Friday, Dec. 16.

The highly anticipated venue has 16 bowling lanes, an arcade, a two-story laser tag arena and gourmet bistro. The project — five years in the making —cost more than $10 million to complete.

"There is nothing else like it in the state, or even on Delmarva," said Chad Moore, who co-owns the venue with his business partner, D.J. Hill.

The 35,000-square-foot center was built by Lighthouse Construction Inc., whose portfolio includes Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton and the Delaware Department of Correction's 24,000-square-foot office expansion.

“We went with Lighthouse because of their quality workmanship, and undisputed local experience and success on projects of this scale,” said Hill.

In addition to a modern and contemporary design, Lefty's Alley & Eats features state of the art technology, with touch screen input pads for bowling, electronic pay cards for the arcade and retractable 40 by 40 feet flat screens above the lanes.

The arcade has more than 50 games, from the classics to new attractions and everything in between, as well as a 4,000-square-foot, completely customized laser tag arena built by Studio 41B in Florida.

And forget about uncomfortable plastic benches. Guests at Lefty's will be able to bowl and relax on couches and over-sized armchairs, with attentive food and bar service at each lane.

To create an upscale, yet casual dining experience to complement the rest of the venue, Moore and Hill teamed up with Josh Grapski, owner of La Vida Hospitality Group. In addition to Lefty's Alley & Eats, La Vida Hospitality Group includes Rehoboth Beach's Fork & Flask at Nage, Big Chill Surf Cantina, Taco Reho food truck and the Crooked Hammock Brewery in Lewes.

READ MORE: Major entertainment venue coming to Lewes

"The minute they pitched the idea, I knew I wanted to be a part of it," said Grapski. "These guys had a vision and they delivered."

Tom Kramer, a self-taught Delaware chef with more than 20 years experience under his belt, created the restaurant's menu to appease even the pickiest of eaters. He assures the handcrafted menu has something for everyone, offering items like loaded potato skins, short rib sliders, fresh salads, sesame seared tuna nachos, burgers, ratatouille pasta and New York strip steaks, served with smashed potatoes, green beans and a red wine demi.

"We're bringing fine dining to beautiful, simple food," Kramer said.

The 110-seat dining room area has a gourmet pizza bar and full-service beverage bar, offering cocktails, wine, and a number of domestics and local craft beer, as well as an exclusive "Lefty's Ale" brewed for the venue by the Crooked Hammock Brewery.

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Lefty's Alley & Eats is kid friendly and adult approved, perfect for birthday parties, special events, date night or an intimate gathering.

Betsy Reamer, executive director of the Lewes Chamber of Commerce believes the space will be a great asset for the community, filling a void residents and tourists alike have been looking to remedy for years.

"We've needed an attraction like this for a very long time," she said, adding that the closest bowling center is more than 20 miles away in Millsboro.

"It has a little something for everyone and I see it as a wonderful amenity, offering an alternative to the beach, as well as a major boost in our local economic development."

Moore and Hill said they hired nearly 150 employees, who have already, "become family."

For more information, visit Lefty's Alley & Eats Facebook page or call 302-864-6000.

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Lefty's Alley & Eats

Where: Dartmouth Drive, Lewes

When: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Call: 302-864-6000



