By Pam George
In 2010, a small burrito shop opened in Trolley Square, and it did not take long for the buzz to travel outside Wilmington’s city limits. El Diablo Burritos quickly became an if-you-know-you-know destination for fast-casual food made with quality ingredients.
The owners hope lightning strikes twice.
Dean Vilone, Roger Andrews, and Shannon Stevens recently opened Hayworth & Finch at 11 A Trolley Square in the same shopping center.
The new establishment is a departure for the partners, who also have El Diablo locations on Market Street in Wilmington and Main Street in Newark. Additionally, there are restaurants in Brandywine Hundred and Pike Creek.
Not only is it a new concept for the partners—think burgers, not burritos—but it’s been two years in the making.
Hayworth & Finch puts the fun in quick-casual food
Hayworth & Finch is in the space previously occupied by HoneyBee Seasonal Kitchen and Market, a few doors down from El Diablo.
Initially, the men passed on the space, Vilone recalls.
“Then we went to lunch and started talking about it,” he says. “We thought it might be fun to bring something new to the community. We’re three artists at heart.”
After taking possession of the 1,000-square-foot space in September 2022, they had to develop a concept. They did their research at other eateries and decided to stick with the counter-service format.
“We zeroed in on our take on a fast-casual bistro,” Vilone says.
Vilone and Andrews have a fine dining background, so this is no McDonald’s. It’s not exactly an authentic bistro either; they’re not trying to replicate the French experience.
Yes, the table stands have wrought-iron bases, but the tops are edged in diner-appropriate metal. There is a striped awning, but it’s lemon-yellow and white, not the classic black and white.
Hayworth & Finch falafel wrap
French fries come in short paper bags, and sandwiches are placed on melamine plates.
The menu includes burgers and chicken Caesar salad on pita. The French dip features short rib, and sandwich fillings include lemon-honey-garlic chicken and orange-miso salmon.
Building a brand
So, what’s with the name? Credit Stevens, an artist who also came up with the cheeky black bean devil on El Diablo’s logo.
The new business has a bird and a bear on the logo. The bear is Basil “Finch” Finchley, who is well-spoken and polished—hence the bowtie. The bird, Hayworth, is “unfiltered, high strung and scrappy,” Vilone says. “But they’re friends.”
The pals could symbolize the marriage of a European concept with America’s melting pot of a menu.
Like El Diablo, Hayworth & Finch seems ripe for replication. Says Vilone, “One thing at a time.”
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