By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Diners at Winberie’s Restaurant and Bar will have the option of eating outside in Palmer Square next spring.
Tables will be located in the One Palmer Plaza area of the square, adjacent to the restaurant and by J. Crew.
”It’s been a little over a year (in planning on the restaurant’s part),” said Dave Maskello, the general manager at Winberie’s. “I think it will give us the presence in that corner of the square and bring life to that area. The outdoor dining will bring liveliness to the entrance of the square and bring more people into the square.”
”This idea has been on the table for a while,” said David Newton, manager of Palmer Square. “We’d wanted to do this for a while and the catalyst came about when we had a water leak under the plaza. Now we can change the main under the plaza and do the outdoor dining.”
Management has been dealing with the water leak for a couple of years, and for a true repair, they need to take up the concrete and change the pipe, which is in front of J. Crew at One Palmer Plaza. Palmer Square management owns One Palmer Plaza.
”We have to excavate part of the area, so this gives us a chance to redesign it a bit,” said Mr. Newton. “This will also improve the quality of life on Palmer Plaza and good for the downtown. People like outdoor dining, and it’s a sign of life and people like life.”
Palmer Square was originally built in 1937 by Edgar Palmer, a 1903 Princeton University alumnus and heir to the New Jersey Zinc Company fortune.
The repair and refurbishment work, which required approval from the Princeton Regional Planning board, will take place later this year or next spring, said Mr. Newton.
A new, exclusive menu and beverage lists are being developed by Winberie’s for the patio. The patio will be about 20 steps from Winberie’s entrance with a dedicated wait staff.
”We want people to understand it is a separate entity,” he said.
The patio seating will be used as long as the weather allows.
There will be seating for 36 at nine tables and will be surrounded by wrought iron, said Mr. Newton.
”(Seating) all depends on the space we have when the space is refurbished,” added Mr. Maskello. “We were hoping it would pass and we’re excited to get started with it.”
Winberie’s was one of the few restaurants in town to not have outdoor seating.
Plans are in the works for outdoor seating at Teresa’s Caffe, said Mr. Newton.