The train station was moved to Alexander Road, making way for a bar to open in the new station this year
PRINCETON - The years-long wait for the launch of a train station-turned-restaurant is finally over.
This week, the Dinky Bar opened at 94 University Place, making its first mark on the historic building that held the Dinky train station for nearly a decade.
The bar, which is currently open only during dinner hours, is owned by Fenwick Hospitality, the same group that owns the popular downtown Princeton restaurant, Agricola. The opening is the result of a partnership between Fenwick Hospitality and Princeton University as part of the school's $330 million Arts and Transit Project.
Agricola owners plan to open bar
According to Fenwick Hospitality, the Dinky Bar features small plates and "locally-sourced" foods. Their prices range from $3 to $12 snacks to $11 to $20 entree plates, Fenwick Hospitality wrote in a statement. They also plan to put a focus on craft beers, local ciders and wine on tap - something unique to Princeton, the statement said. The beers range from $5 to $8 while the wines range from $8 to $11.
According to the statement, "the actual offerings of the bar can seem almost secondary," in the face of the atmosphere. The owners set out in part to honor the history of the building, which served as the train station for the local Dinky train from 1918 to 2013. The station was closed and moved 460 feet down the street onto Alexander Road.
To remember the building's near-decade of history, the owners of the bar have decorated the inside of the old stone station in a style inspired by the Dinky line, with reclaimed wood tables and a "transit ticket menu board," the statement said.
The bar is expected to open for full service in August.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman