ARRIVE Wilmington, a boutique hotel under construction at 101 S. 2nd St., will soon be home to a new downtown eatery, Dram Yard. 

The restaurant’s name was inspired by the Dram Tree House, one of the buildings that made up The Wilmingtonian hotel complex that occupied the property since the late 1980’s.

Hotel managing director Jamie Schaible said she is hopeful that the restaurant will open by mid-April, with the hotel opening shortly thereafter. 

ARRIVE Hotels & Restaurants was created by Chris Pardo, Peter Karpinski, Ezra Callahan and Matt Steinberg, with the first ARRIVE hotel opening in Palm Springs, California in 2016. 

Schaible said the idea behind ARRIVE hotels is to create spaces designed to share what makes a neighborhood special with locals and visitors alike. 

“We believe the very best travel experiences are those that allow you to integrate into a neighborhood,” Schaible said. 

As a result, ARRIVE and Dram Yard are designed to be an experience for locals as well as visitors. 

Executive chef and general manager Kat Myhand said both the restaurant and the courtyard were designed with non-hotel guests in mind.  

“If we get it right, we’re creating not just a restaurant for locals, but also a beautiful outdoor space with drinks and snacks that’s a juxtaposition of everything that’s happening on Front Street,” Kat Myhand said. 

Myhand’s menu will focus on globally inspired shared plates, prepared with locally sourced produce, meats and seafood. The plates will  be served family style, rather than in small, tapas-style portions. 

“We’re going to be a small but mighty restaurant,” Schaible said. 

With just 36 seats, Dram Yards intimate dining space will seat mostly small parties, with one table available for a party of six to eight. 

“By limiting the size of our parties we’ll be able to achieve a high level of service that is designed for small groups,” Schaible said. 

The restaurant will also feature a courtyard, which Schaible describes as a space to enjoy a craft cocktail in a historic setting with lush gardens and private fire pits.

Stay tuned for further details on this emerging concept’s menu and opening date. 

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