Wafer, who had never bartended before, was one of the original bartenders at the food hall when it opened in July 2022. After bartending for more than a year, she went on to do different things but kept a relationship with the tenants.
Credit: Aaron Horn
Credit: Aaron Horn
“I really loved it here and talked to my son and he said, ”Is this something you really want to do?," and here we are," Wafer said.
“It’s exciting to have new energy and new leadership at the bar at W. Social”, said Larry Dillin, managing partner and co-owner of W. Social. “The neighborhood has really embraced us as the local bar and eatery and we intend to continue to provide a community focused food and bar venue that is family friendly, fun and community oriented.”
Meet the new owners
Prior to bartending, Wafer was an LPN for about 20 years. She is now retired.
“Growing up, my mother owned two bars, so I have always been around it,” Wafer said. “I know the gist of it.”
She recalled watching her late-mother interact with her customers — knowing she would want to do that someday too.
“I like that it’s for the community,” Morton said. “It’s lead way to do a lot more.”
Morton is a 2013 Meadowdale High School graduate who was a used car salesman for the last eight years.
“It was an opportunity that I feel like we shouldn’t pass up on,” Morton said. “I took the risk in using a line of equity on my house to secure the investment.”
He added that it was a risk worth taking.
What to expect at The Tap
The bar will remain the “heart” of the food hall with 16 rotating taps of domestic and craft beers, cocktails, wines and a large variety of whiskey, tequila, vodka, rum and gin.
Favorites include the Tito’s Lemon Drops that are available on tap for $8.
The Tap now offers alcoholic slushies and plans to once again collaborate with the other tenants to offer specialty drinks made for each restaurant.
They plan to introduce new drinks each week. For example, the bar featured a Kool-Aid and tequila cocktail last week.
Wafer’s daughter, Dayshawna Waddell, is also joining the team behind the bar.
“My children are my best friends,” Wafer said.
Coffee returns to W. Social
Miller’s Grind & Brews has returned to The Tap — offering regular coffee and lattes.
“I took 18 months off for health reasons,” said owner Bill Miller. “As of right now, I’m really here to get my feet under me, take it easy and then move into it slowly.”
He said the menu has been trimmed down, but plans to bring back smoothies and frozen lattes once the weather breaks.
The bourbon barrel maple latte is the coffee shop’s signature drink featuring Canadian maple mixed with a little bit of bourbon that sits in a bourbon barrel for at least six months before it’s used in the latte.
Miller’s Grind & Brews is currently open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The coffee shop is expected to open in the morning this summer.
New pizza joint coming soon
In addition to owning the bar, the mother-son duo will also manage the food hall and has plans to open a pizza, sub and salad concept in the former ILLY’s Fire Pizza space.
ILLY’S Fire Pizza left the food hall in May 2024.
PREGAME is expected to open in early April offering New York-style slices with a variety of salads, hoagies and calzones.
“I feel like it was necessary,” Morton said. “That empty spot — it’s like leaving a hole in here.”
They plan to make the dough from scratch and offer fresh ingredients. There will be four to five pizza options with customers able to create their own. A vegan option will be available as well.
Other vendors offering new dishes
W. Social, located at 1100 W. Third St. across from the National Aviation Heritage Museum, was a joint real estate venture between Dillin Financial, Clous Road Partners and Wright Dunbar Inc. The $2.1 million project transformed a former 6,400-square-foot conference center into a food hall with a bar and six other independent businesses.
Other vendors currently up and running include The Lumpia Queen, Mz. Jade’s Soul Food, Taco Street Co. and SOCA.
Anthony Thomas, owner of Taco Street Co., is opening XO Burger Vibez + Cocktails, a new restaurant specializing in gourmet burgers with a speakeasy in its basement, in the second quarter of this year on West Third Street.
He’s giving his customers at the food hall a sneak peek of XO Burger’s menu by offering a chicken sandwich, bourbon double bacon cheeseburger and a turkey burger.
The bourbon sauce on the double bacon cheeseburger is made in house. The burgers are smash burgers with crispy edges.
Shafton and LaShawn Greene, the owners of SOCA, are planning to open Haymarket Deli & Sweets, a deli offering old school sandwiches, salads, ice cream, boba tea and more, on West Third Street this summer.
In the mean time, they are adding more Caribbean and Trinidad items to their menu at the food hall.
“Before, we didn’t really have a really high demand of certain foods that we sold, but now as people get to know us, we’re starting to sell more of the Caribbean items,” Shafton Greene said.
Customers can expect pholourie, something similar to an American hush puppy, and aloo pies, a fried pastry filled with seasoned potatoes that’s served with curry chickpeas, scotch bonnet pepper sauce, tamarind sauce, cucumbers and cilantro sauce.
A safe space with family friendly entertainment
As spring and summer is right around the corner, Wafer and Morton will be adding comfortable seating to the outdoor patio at the food hall, as well as TVs and hookahs.
Their goal is to have entertainment every day of the week with karaoke on Mondays, a live DJ on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and a live band on Wednesdays.
Movie nights, game nights and trivia is coming soon. Wafer and Morton said they want the food hall to be a safe space for children and adults.
The food hall is expected to once again open on Sundays starting in mid-March with R&B brunches.
“We’re going to keep it pushing,” Wafer said. “Everything’s going to be great and all are welcome.”
MORE DETAILS
W. Social’s bar is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with the restaurants closing at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with the restaurants closing at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are coming soon.
For more information, visit westsocialtapandtable.com or the food hall’s Facebook (@wsocialfoodhall) or Instagram (@westsocialtapandtable) pages.
FOOD & DINING NEWS
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