Say it isn’t so! World Cafe Live at The Queen will be shutting its doors on May 25, 2017. The live music venue opened in April 2011 after extensive renovations by the Buccini/Pollin Group.
According to a statement released by Hal Real, founder and president of World Cafe Live:
“It has been an honor for us to ‘light up the Queen,’ as part of an inspiring public-private partnership that brought her majesty back to life in 2011 as a world-class entertainment, dining and events venue. We are proud of the role we have played as a catalyst for revitalizing downtown Wilmington, although we had hoped the downtown renaissance would have grown at a more rapid pace. Despite our best efforts to make the Queen a seven-day-a-week operation, we have not been able to generate the revenue required to sustain such an ambitious business model over the past six years.
“Between now and May 25, World Cafe Live at the Queen will continue to present great shows and events, including Marc Broussard, Mothership, Gad Elmaleh, KT Tunstall, this year’s Shine A Light concert fundraiser benefiting the Light Up the Queen Foundation, JD McPherson, Modern Baseball, the Subdudes, James McMurtry, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Carbon Leaf, Drive By Truckers and a few more to be announced soon. To celebrate WCL’s role as a ‘clubhouse’ for the local music community, on May 25 there will be a free final show featuring performances by many of the Brandywine Valley’s most cherished groups and performers.
“The company will focus its efforts and continue to operate its ever-popular original venue World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. The company also plans to launch ‘World Cafe Live Presents,’ an initiative presenting World Cafe Live concerts and other events at other venues in the Philadelphia and Wilmington markets and outside the region.”
Hopefully the music will live on at the venue. According to a story on Wilmington News-Journal, developer Chris Buccini plans to find new management to keep The Queen a theater.
- Photo: My Stock Photos
