Ben and Diane Winiarczyk often took their family to Shorebreak Lodge in Rehoboth Beach, especially after moving to the coast full time in 2018.
“We made many great memories in that space,” Diane says.
Although Ben owned a successful gaming and animation company, BLIT Interactive, he was drawn to the hospitality industry.
“We were making friends with servers and bartenders, and I began to see a possibility to become a part of that world, which is much more social than the mostly solitary life of game development,” he says.
He joined Shorebreak’s team in 2019, and Diane helped then-owner Kate Wall with the accounting. When Shorebreak came up for sale in 2024, the Winiarczyks jumped at the chance to own it.
Shorebreak was a “familiar and comfortable purchase,” Diane says. The couple bought a legacy; Shorebreak had remained popular through a change in ownership.
“We didn’t feel an obligation to preserve anything in particular,” she says. “We kept what we believed was special and built from there.”
Evidently, it was the right move.
The Delaware Restaurant Association recently announced that Ben and Diane Winiarczyk are the recipients of its 2026 Restaurateur of the Year Award, which will be presented at the association’s Cornerstone Awards Monday, Oct. 5, at the Chancery Market in Wilmington.
The Winiarczyks are Shorebreak’s third ownership group. Rob Stitt, founder of Eden, and Matt Sprenkle opened the restaurant in 2011. The name came from Sprenkle’s surfing background, and Stitt said the concept was modeled after Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami’s Design District. In 2017, Wall purchased the restaurant.
Like Wall, the Winiarczyks kept much of Shorebreak’s DNA, including the menu sections Fish, Hunt and Gather. Some dishes remained; others departed. To help decide what to keep, they posted photos of familiar Shorebreak items on social media and asked customers what they wanted to see return.
The reopening menu included a new salmon entrée as well as accommodations for guests with food allergies.
“We expanded the half- and full-entrée options to other dishes on the menu,” Diane says. She encourages tables to order several half entrées and share.
Ben, who has become an accomplished mixologist, also enhanced the bar program. The transition from BLIT Interactive was not as much of a stretch as it might seem.
“Creating games for high-profile clients and creating a high-end cocktail program both require creativity, efficiency and awareness of what the client or guest is looking for,” he explains.
Ben starts with a familiar cocktail as a reference point. The drink must be delicious and beautiful, its name easy to pronounce and its recipe consistent, regardless of who is behind the bar. The couple also credit Shorebreak’s workplace culture for its continued success.
“The team genuinely cares about each other and our guests,” Diane says. “We’re not at all surprised that multiple members received nominations for the Excellence in Service Award. We are very proud of them, and they have earned the recognition by caring about our guests and their experience.”
The Excellence in Service Award is a new category in the association’s annual Cornerstone Awards program.
The Winiarczyks say the Restaurateur of the Year recognition validates that they are on the right path. It is particularly meaningful considering neither had formal restaurant management training beyond Ben’s bartending experience.
“When we reopened Shorebreak, we had a vision for its future,” Diane says. “We cultivated an experience with music, lighting, drinks and food, as well as a vibe and a culture of kindness. To have our vision resonate with the guests and have the industry notice is incredibly validating and energizing. We look forward to learning and growing along with this incredible industry.”
