REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — The Rehoboth Beach community is remembering Ed Fornwalt, longtime owner and operator of the now-closed Royal Treat Restaurant, who passed away after decades of serving breakfast and ice cream to generations of locals and visitors.
Fornwalt, along with his wife Doris, son Scott, daughter Deb and other family members, ran the Royal Treat for 43 years, beginning in the early 1980s. The restaurant was a summer tradition for countless beachgoers until it closed at the end of the 2022 season. The building, which stood at its prime location for more than four decades, was demolished in 2023 after its owners, the Fasnacht family of Funland, said it was beyond repair.
The Royal Treat was a beloved institution on Wilmington Avenue for decades.
In a statement, the Fasnacht family said they were “deeply saddened” by the news of Fornwalt’s passing. “For decades, we were privileged to live in the Hershey, Pa., community with Ed and to work alongside him and his wonderful family in Delaware as they made the Royal Treat into a true Rehoboth Beach institution,” the family said. “While we will miss seeing Ed, today it’s with grateful hearts that the Funland family remembers the Royal Treat, the Fornwalt family and Ed’s legacy.”
An image of the Royal Treat.