Dover's first beer garden appears on track after six months.
The Rail Haus opened in November, a tough time to start an open-air approach to a restaurant.
But owner Donny Legans was prepared with fire pits, heaters and plenty of activities to keep the place warm - and his contemporary, family-friendly take on a beer garden seems to be clicking.
"The beauty about Dover is there’s so many different groups here, so you can’t just focus on one - you really can have your pick of the litter. We try to be a big tent - everybody’s welcome here. We made it through wintertime and it was pretty lucrative."
Legans’ “big tent” approach includes families - there's a large play area for the kids.
"I love seeing them run around when the train is coming - they're chasing the train at the fence. To me, that’s the ultimate level of ‘We made it here’, because the kids are here - the families feel comfortable bringing their kids here, and they do it often - it’s not just a one-time thing - this is their place."
The Raul Haus filled the long-vacant former Southern States site at 92 N. West St. with 2,500 square feet of interior space -- and nearly 20,000 square feet outdoors with long beer garden-style tables.
It also employs over 40 people.
