After four years, Hank’s Place co-owners Anthony and Katie Young can finally sit again at their lunch counter in Chadds Ford, writes Roger Morris for The Hunt.
“This is the fourth rebuild,” said Anthony Young, “And it’s the last one.”
The rebuild includes many floodproof features added after Brandywine Creek floodwaters pounded the building in 2021.
The Youngs have owned Hank’s Place since 2017, but its history goes back much further.
It began as a blacksmith shop in 1859, later becoming a gas station and vegetable stand in the first half of the Twentieth Century.
It’s been a diner since 1960, when it was owned by Hank Shupe.
Peter and Voula Skiadas then took over before the Youngs acquired it eight years ago.
The menus are mostly the same from pre-flood/pre-COVID days. The iconic lunch counter is still there, though it’s been widened from 12 to 19 feet.
The dining room is more open, with a two-story vaulted ceiling to let in more natural light.
There’s also covered outdoor seating now.
“It has a fireplace,” Katie said. “I love the fact that it looks over the estuary.”
There’s plenty of sculptures and paintings from local artists as well.
Read more about the recent changes made to Hank’s Place in The Hunt.
Hank’s is finally home again. After Ida’s floods wiped out the beloved 75-year-old Chad’s Ford restaurant, the rebuilt Hank’s now stands elevated above the Brandywine, complete with high ceilings, local artwork, and pieces of its history preserved throughout. Longtime staff, regulars, and the community are celebrating a new chapter for the place “where hungry people eat and friendly people meet.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in October 2025.
