Zoës Kitchen closed its Newtown location abruptly this week leaving only a hand written note on the door of the Goodnoe Corner eatery.

The note read simply, “Closed Permanently.”

Zoës Kitchen, a fast casual restaurant chain specializing in Mediterranean-inspired food, opened in 2013 at Goodnoe Corner. It replaced Cosi, which had relocated to the Newtown Business Commons.

In my opinion, food trucks offer an alternative to brick-and-mortar "eating places" recommended by Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC).

Newtown Township hired the BCPC to develop an “Overlay Zone” in the OLI/LI district that would allow more uses in certain areas of the district, especially in the Business Commons area.

Of all the proposed uses, I am most concerned about “Eating Place.” we have many eating places in Newtown and residents are getting weary of seeing them come and go – but mostly keep coming along with parking and traffic issues.

Read why I think food trucks are a better alternative...

On Wednesday night, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors gave conditional use approval for the family-owned [Princeton-based Blue Point Grill aka BPG] to open at 3 West Road next to the TD Bank at the Newtown Shopping Center.

[BPG will also have a bar and serve alcohol; read “Newtown Planning Commission is OK with Blue Point Grill's Conditional Use Application. Liquor Will Be Served!”; https://sco.lt/82MA0e ]

"We're not going to be a bar to drink. We're going to be a restaurant to eat," said Jack Morrison, the owner of BPG. "If you're coming for a cocktail at 10 p.m. that's not who we are."

Morrison is projecting that 75 percent of BPG's sales would be food with alcohol sales making up about 25 percent. "Our sales of alcoholic beverages will be to complement our food sales," said Morrison.

While the supervisors approved hours of operation of between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., Morrison said the restaurant will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and initially from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with the possibility of lunchtime service in the future.

In addressing concerns over parking, Morrison's land development lawyer Mike Meginniss noted that the seafood house would be a complementary use to the neighboring TD Bank, which shares the 52 space parking lot.

"We believe this is a good synergistic use with the peak hours of the bank during the day and BPG being a dinner operation," said Meginniss.

Meginniss also noted that employees will be directed to park in the ACME parking lot across the street to keep the parking lot open to BPG customers.

"We also believe this will be a less intense use from a traffic standpoint than the Corner Bakery because the average customer will stay for about one and a half hours," said McGinnis.

anti single-useThe applicant is seeking conditional use approval to open a seafood restaurant (Blue Point Grill aka BPG) at 3 West Road in the Newtown Shopping Center. This is the former location of the Corner Bakery, which is no longer in business at that location. The hours of operation will be 4 PM to 11 PM on weekdays and 11 AM to 10 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Jack Morrison, the owner of BPG, confirmed that he is seeking approval for 145 indoor seats. Also, there are an additional 36 seats in an existing outdoor seating area, which will be used on a seasonal basis. Some PC members were concerned about the parking and traffic problems this number of seats would cause. 

There was also crosswalk safety concerns as many patrons would have to cross West Road to get to and from their cars parked in Gap/ACME lot. It was agreed that these crossings would be made safer by repainting the bars to make the crossings more visible to motorists.

Liquor License

The floor plan includes an “Raw Bar” that seats 6 people and a regular "Bar" that seats 9 people. Recall that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) denied BPG’s application to transfer a liquor license from an East Rockhill Township tavern primarily because supervisors felt the Newtown was already over quota for liquor licenses (read “Blue Point Grill's Liquor License Transfer Not Approved”). Mr. Morrison informed the NTPC that BPG signed a contract to obtain a Newtown liquor license from Dolce Carini (Friends Bar & Grill), which has gone out of business.

Potential Environmental Impact

Recall that Newtown recently passed an anti-single use plastics resolution that urges the business community and residents to consider alternatives to single-use plastics (read “Newtown Township Anti Single-Use Plastic Resolution Makes Local News”). I asked in Mr. Morrison if BPG would comply with that resolution when packaging “doggie bags” for patrons to take home. He said he would have no problem with that.

Although some members were concerned about parking, the PC agreed that it will advise the NT Board of Supervisors to approve this conditional use application.

More details...

After two years of operation, interrupted by a lengthy closure during the pandemic, Solstice Restaurant has closed its doors in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center.

The 9,245 square-foot restaurant opened in March 2020 offering hyper-seasonal menus that changed with the seasons.

In a message posted on its Facebook page, the owners wrote, "Over the past two years, Solstice has built a community of friends, family and loyal diners. When we opened our doors, we set out to provide seasonally-forward food that was thoughtfully prepared, and dedicated to quality, craft and freshness.

"If you have followed along in our journey, you know that we celebrate the season as much as we celebrate its change. Today, with a heavy heart, we're stepping into that change as we share the news of our closing.

Mary Wlodarczyk Sanginiti had this advice for the restaurant owners: "Open in a location outside of that shopping center. The traffic and parking are horrendous. We avoid all the restaurants there."

Solstice is the second restaurant to close this year at the Village. Earlier this year Friends Bar and Grill/Dolce Carini closed after its lease expired.

"Despite my best attempts over the last three years to secure a new lease, the landlord refused to give us a new one," wrote the owners of Friends on its FaceBook page. "This necessitated the closure of the business as there were no other options available."

UPDATE: On August 10, 2022, the Newtown Supervisors approved the proposed patio plus the expansion. Read "#Newtown Supervisors Approve Piccolo Trattoria Expansion at the Newtown Shopping Center".

UPDATE: On April 7, 2022, the Newtown Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) approved Piccolo's application with the condition that it must remain "outdoor seating." In other words, the outdoor area cannot morph into de facto permanent seating. The trees (bradford pears) will be removed and replaced with other native trees. The renderings look good. ZHB members did not think that parking is an issue on that side of the lot.

Piccolo Trattoria will be seeking zoning relief in early April to expand its Italian sit down and takeout restaurant at the Newtown Shopping Center on West Road.

The restaurant is proposing to expand into the former Dogs and Cats Rule space next door and to construct a 2,212 square foot covered outdoor dining area with 112 seats at the far western end of the shopping center.

In order to remain viable in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, owner Fahmi Elabed said restaurants require an outdoor seating component/option for its customers. In order to do that, he said Piccolo Trattoria will need variance relief for impervious coverage and parking.

NOTE:  Note: Piccolo Trattoria, along with 10 other local restaurants, received $40,000 in #COVID19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program Relief Funds; https://sco.lt/5Q1KdM

According to Piccolo’s zoning application, a variance is required to permit 59.87 percent impervious coverage ratio, which represents a .22 percent increase over what is presently permitted.

A variance is also required to permit Piccolo Trattoria to continue to maintain 953 parking spaces, of which 169 would remain “held in reserve.” The patio addition would require the construction of an additional 15 parking spaces.

At its March 23 meeting, the board of supervisors voted not to oppose zoning relief for Piccolo. The planned expansion and outdoor dining area will also require conditional use approval by the board of supervisors.

A conditional use hearing has not yet been scheduled by the township, however parking is expected to be an issue during those discussions.

“They are going to expand their restaurant so there will be additional seating. And with the outdoor seating area there could be 200 additional people,” said Supervisor John Mack. “That’s a lot of additional parking.”

More than a dozen restaurants, bars and hospitality businesses in the Newtown area received half-a-million dollars in coronavirus-relief funding earlier this year through Pennsylvania's COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program.

Restaurants and food-service businesses received about 85 percent of Bucks County's CHIRP funding, about $5.9 million, while accommodation businesses received just over $1 million. Of that funding, $500,000 was directed to Newtown-area businesses.

Eleven received grants of $40,000, the largest amount offered by Bucks County officials:

Green Parrot Restaurant, Isaac Newton's Restaurant, Jules' Thin Crust Newtown, Ko Restaurant, Piccolo Trattoria Catering, Sycamore Grill, The Barn Inc., The Fancy Fig Cafe & Catering (Wrightstown), The Grey Stone Fine Food & Spirits, Vecchia Osteria, and Vince's Pizzeria & Taproom (Wrightstown).

The Temperance House (Newtown Borough) received a $30,000 grant, Pat's Colonial Kitchen got a $20,000 grant and Café Con Leche (Newtown Borough) got a $10,000 grant.

The pocketbooks of restaurants have been sliced and diced by the pandemic, as the National Restaurant Association says the restaurant industry lost a quarter of its revenue during the pandemic.

While billions in state and federal dollars have been made available, the financial cupboard is now bare and some owners say they’ve only gotten peanuts so far.

Beyond the tens of billions of dollars made available through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, Congress specifically fed struggling restaurants vital money through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. It was a $28.6 billion package, of which nearly $950 million came to more than 3,500 Pennsylvania establishments.

But the Small Business Association says that the well has run dry, with many left crying foul.

Reports show the top 5 percent of awardees took 40 percent of the money, meaning only one-third of Pennsylvania restaurants that applied got any money.

And a mandate that women, veterans, and people of color got first dibs at the aid led to lawsuits from restaurants owned by white men and conservative advocates. That led to SBA reportedly rescinding previously approved awards.

More...

Few businesses were hit harder by the pandemic than the restaurant industry, which suffered massive losses during the shutdowns than lingered on, in some form, for more than a calendar year.

The federal government responded through the Small Business Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

All told, just over a third of the Pennsylvania establishments that applied received funding. A total of 3,530 establishments were awarded, out 9,944 applicants, as the program ran out of money.

Funding was calculated by estimated revenue loss during the pandemic. The minimum award was $1,000, although dozens of Pennsylvania restaurants received at least $1 million or more.

Thousands of eateries were still left behind.

Read more...

Date Inspected: June 22, 2021

Some of the more serious violations include:

• Observed rodent droppings [capers?] inside the prep top unit. All food stored inside this unit was discarded. This must be cleaned and sanitized.
• There is no food safety manager certified by this Department (CFSM) on duty as required. A CFSM must be on duty at all times the facility is open and/or food is being prepared. A completed application (SA-71)for CFSM, or proof of enrollment in an approved safety class must be submitted to the Department.
• Food workers observed using bare hands for preparing ready to eat food. Disposable gloves, deli tissue, tongs or similar utensils must be used to prevent bare hand contact with ready to eat food.
• Mechanical warewasher is unclean and not operating properly. This machine must be repaired or replaced. A service report or specs for a new dishwasher must be submitted to this department. This machine is accumulating dirt and grime along the interior of the machine.
• Non-food contact surfaces clean. Walls, floors, and interiors of equipment in the kitchen are unclean with accumulation of grease, food, and dirt. A deep clean of the kitchen must be conducted. All equipment must be pulled out from the walls so the areas underneath can be properly cleaned.

More Newtown restaurant health violations…

Restaurants have become the economic lifeblood for many cities. The coronavirus threatens to take away more than just delicious food.

The danger facing restaurants, which thrive on crowded rooms and get by on razor-thin margins, poses a special threat to small cities and large towns where a robust food culture plays an outsize role in the economy. In places that had been hollowed out by poverty and suburban flight, like parts of Indianapolis, Cleveland and Detroit, they are engines of growth. In other cities with a national reputation for good food that is out of proportion to their population, like Providence, R.I., or Asheville, N.C., dining is both a tourist attraction and a key part of their identity.

Already, restaurant closures have damaged urban economies in ways that are still being calculated. Of the 701,000 nonfarm jobs lost in the United States in March, nearly 60 percent came from food services and drinking places, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“We have heard estimates that as much as 50 percent of the restaurants that have closed may not reopen,” said Mr. Falcicchio, Washington, D.C.’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development. “That is really troubling when we think of our economy, the job market and the district’s bottom line.”

As valuable as independent restaurants are to their cities, though, owners say that most of the federal relief passed so far does not take their needs into account. The government has shown little interest in compelling or helping insurers to pay claims for business interruption caused by the pandemic, something restaurant owners desperately want. Restaurant owners say the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides forgivable loans to small businesses that keep paying workers, is not useful for eateries that may need to remain shuttered or half full for months after other kinds of businesses are fully operational.

The COVID-19 pandemic mitigation efforts are having a devastating impact on Newtown Area businesses – but especially restaurants that cannot "work from home" or do business via Zoom!

During this trying time, restaurants need help generating business. That is why several restaurants in the Newtown area have decided to host a "contest" based on "Tempe Bingo" – a game developed by a Tempe, NV, brewery, whereby restaurants can cross-promote each other.

Here is the basic idea:

• 25 restaurants will participate, each with a square on the BINGO GAME card.
• Each restaurant will promote the BINGO GAME on their website, at their location and link to the official virtual BINGO GAME card that residents/game players can download.
• To play the game and achieve BINGO!, players must order a meal of a minimum specific value from 5 restaurants all in one row, column, or diagonal of the card. No player can claim more than one BINGO! per day.
• There will be 5 winners who must achieve BINGO! and submit proof of purchases to win.
• Each winner gets 2 free meals of equal or lesser value based on their 5 restaurants on the BINGO GAME card.
• Other prizes may be awarded for filling the entire BINGO GAME card.

There are NO out of pocket upfront costs to restaurants or players who participates in Newtown Area Restaurant BINGO!

This contest is hosted by East Coast Event Group. At least half a dozen restaurants/eateries have already signed up to participate as of 5/5/20. We need 25 to fill the game card!

If you are interested in participating as a host restaurant, please contact Eric Scott Gold for details and to sign up.

Email: ericscottgold215@gmail.com or call: 215-750-2600

Although many restaurateurs are still unsure if they will ever open their doors again, there are plenty — from fast-food operators to chefs at the most elite temples of haute cuisine — who spend their days strategizing how to get back to hosting diners.

Culinary and health organizations are drawing up guidelines and protocols for re-creating the American dining room as a safe space — even while acknowledging that could take many months or even longer to happen.

The first step in the long crawl back will be setting standards to protect workers and diners. “The most pragmatic thing we need to figure out right now is safety protocol,” said David Chang, the restaurateur and media star. “We are all asking for that, and no one really knows.”

The questions pile up fast. Should you rely on disposable paper menus, or is wiping down plastic-covered ones safe? What kind of thermometers are best to check employees’ health, and will diners submit to temperature checks? Can air-conditioning spread the virus? What is a restaurant’s liability if a customer gets sick? How does a sommelier taste wine while wearing a mask, and how do you rewrite a menu so cooks can stay safe in the tight confines of a restaurant kitchen?

“Once you go down this rabbit hole, it’s going to make your brain bleed,” Mr. Chang said.

In the United States, the rules dictating what is safe in a restaurant are anything but clear, even as states begin allowing them to reopen.

Last Thursday, the National Restaurant Association, whose members are largely chain restaurants, sent out a general set of guidelines that defers to government regulations, which will likely vary. They leave taking employees’ temperatures to the restaurant owner’s discretion, and recommend that restaurants follow state or local rules on the use of masks. Other suggestions include eliminating unwrapped straws, salad bars, buffets and cut lemons.

Independent restaurant owners are working with one another and some culinary organizations to develop more detailed protocols. Many have referenced a playbook put out by Syed Asim Hussain, a founder of Black Sheep Restaurants, in Hong Kong, which includes both science and tips on the art of hospitality.

“Guests are very sensitive to hygiene,” the guide states, “and anything that even looks messy will translate to unclean in their minds, so everyone’s uniforms, hair, nails, any surfaces guests can see, it all needs to be tidy and spotless, now more than ever.”

The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors will consider an application for another new restaurant at the Village at Newtown Shopping Center during a meeting Wednesday [7 PM at 100 Municipal Drive, Newtown].

Solstice — a sub-franchise of Schula's Steakhouse — is seeking conditional use approval to open a 6,700-square-foot restaurant in the shopping center, Newtown Township Manager Micah Lewis said.

In November, the business received approval for its liquor license transfer. The liquor license was transferred from the Warrington Bertucci's, which closed in 2018 after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The application to be considered Wednesday is for the restaurant use, Lewis said. The restaurant will be located in a new building along Durham Road that is currently under construction, he noted.