Schaefer’s Canal House Finally Reopens under Giordano Ownership

Brothers John, Frank, and Dominic Giordano have successfully owned and managed Giordano’s Restaurant and Sports Bar in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, so expectations ran high when they purchased Schaefer’s Canal House in North Chesapeake City in December 2010 and announced plans to reopen the following summer. For decades, Schaefer’s had been one of the most popular restaurants on the upper Eastern Shore, but it had been closed since 2005 and was in extreme disrepair when the Giordanos bought it for $1.6 million.

The Giordanos brought in an additional partner, Frankie Broomall, and they began to renovate the enormous building, but months turned into years, and the new Schaefer’s did not reopen until Labor Day, 2012, the symbolic end of the summer season. From the size of the weekend crowds, it seems that many customers think the new Schaefer’s was worth the wait.

The restaurant seats 160 inside and an additional 40 outside, and that does not include the banquet hall, which is undergoing a facelift and will be ready next summer. There is deep water dock space for about 70 boats and fuel is available. Huge picture windows provide views of the canal, the harbor, and the quaint buildings in South Chesapeake City. The atmosphere is casual and laid back, with live music on weekends.

Executive Chef Bruce Watterau has created a varied and imaginative menu that includes lots of seafood. Specialties include Duck Confit Quesadillas, Crab Cakes, Crab Mac N’ Cheese, and Snapper Soup. There are always lots of specials. The restaurant is providing a boost to the local economy by employing 80 people, many of them part-time.

Schaefer’s is open seven days a week: Sunday through Thursday from 11AM until 10PM and Friday and Saturday from 11AM until 11PM. It is located at 208 Bank Street, Chesapeake City, MD, 21915. The phone is 410-885-2200.