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Newtown News of Interest
These Scoops are excerpts from articles published in local newspapers and other sources that may be of interest to Newtown area residents. Please click on the "From" link to access the full original article. Any opinions and "insights" appended to these article summaries are solely those of John Mack and do not represent the opinions of any other person or entity. Curated by johnmacknewtown |
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
June 22, 2022 1:51 PM
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CONTENT:
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
June 9, 2022 11:40 AM
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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."
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
May 17, 2020 1:48 PM
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UPDATE (25 June 2020): Read "WE CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH" for Solstice's health & safety guidelines while dining.
Perhaps you received the same email I did from Solstice Restaurant, which is located in the Village of Newtown Shopping Center. The subject was "We Care What You Think".
"We are busy preparing the restaurant — updating our cleaning procedures, adding new service standards, upgrading our uniform specifications, and much more — to ensure the health and safety of our guests and team members once we are permitted to reopen our doors," said Solstice. "But we're not stopping there, we'd like to know what you need to feel comfortable dining in the restaurant and ordering takeout."
There was a link to an interesting online survey. Find some of the questions and my responses/comments here: https://johnmacknewtown.info/blog/?viewDetailed=202005171150
Related:
Middletown Township also established a task force that will be charged with developing guidelines to clarify what precautions businesses should have in place to be ready to reopen as quickly as is reasonable and safe, as soon as Bucks County reaches Gov. Wolf’s yellow, and ultimately green, criteria. Read “To Reopen Local Businesses, Townships Must Develop Guidelines to Ensure Citizens are Safe. CASE STUDY: Middletown & Sesame Place”; http://sco.lt/5n5C5Y
During the May 13, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting via Zoom, I made a case for the Township to start thinking how it can help local businesses to re-open safely during the current and the next phases of COVID-19 restrictions. Several ideas were put forward such as rethinking the Finance Committee's purview, putting together an ad hoc business Task Force, etc. Listen to the conversation here: https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/covidvbus.html
This idea will be discussed in more detail at the May 18, 2020, Special Supervisor Work Session Zoom meeting.
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johnmacknewtown
April 22, 2020 7:07 AM
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On March 15, just one week after our grand opening, Solstice was forced to close its doors to adhere to government mandates surrounding COVID-19. Over the past month, we have kept our team home and supported them by providing weekly meals for pickup.
Nearly a month later, we have decided to reopen our doors, for takeout and delivery. Service starts Wednesday, 4/22, but you can place your online order starting now.
Rest assured, the health & safety of our guests and team members are still our top priority, so we have introduced:
Dinner is Served Daily | 4:30pm - 7:30pm
View menu and order here: https://bbot.menu/menu
See a list of dozens more Newtown area restaurants open for business during COVID-19 here: https://bit.ly/OpenRestuarantsCOVID19
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
March 16, 2020 12:15 PM
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A restaurant that had just opened last week in the Village at Newtown has shut their doors. Solstice announced the temporary closure before the governor's order.
The restaurant, which had opened March 9, shut after dinner service on Sunday.
"The health and safety of our staff and community have been, and will always be, our first priority," restaurant partner Rick Darby said. "We believe actions speak louder than words and are doing everything that we can as a small business to support our staff during this uncertain time."
Solstice is offering two-weeks paid leave for all staff. All remaining food will be cooked, boxed and shared with staff to bring home to their families.
"COVID-19's impact is an evolving situation with many unknowns, but one thing we are sure of, is that supporting our staff and community can only make us stronger in the end," said Darby.
The Green Parrot, which this time of year would usually be packed with residents congregating for the annual St. Patrick's Day festival, has closed.
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johnmacknewtown
March 11, 2020 7:15 AM
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Solstice of Newtown officially opened its doors on Monday with a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony just before noon and its first public dinner service in the evening.
On hand to welcome Bucks County’s newest restaurant were leaders of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce, State Senator Steve Santarsiero and Newtown Township Supervisors John Mack and Dennis Fisher.
The new-build 9,245 square-foot restaurant at the Village at Newtown Shopping Center is offering hyper-seasonal menus using ingredients at their peak from the best available locations.
Based on the philosophy of fresh, craveable food, as every seasonal solstice or equinox approaches (ie: the first official day of spring, summer, fall and winter), Solstice will unveil an updated menu including dishes that are reflective of what’s in season. And during each season Solstice will launch an ingredient-specific Peak of Season menu featuring one seasonal ingredient prepared and served in 3-4 different iterations. This special menu will only be available for a limited time while the ingredient is at its height of freshness and seasonality.
When the Solstice conditional use application came before the Newtown Board of Supervisors at the June 12, 2019, public meeting, Attorney Joseph Blackburn representing the applicant described the Solstice as being "affiliated with Shula’s Steak House". What I learned since then is that one of the investors or principals had some involvement with Shula’s Restaurants.
I spoke to the Brixmor representative he said that Shula-style steaks WILL be on the menu along with the seasonal entries. At the opening, I asked Executive Chef Jason Audette to see the menu. There were three steak dishes on the menu. One was a vegetarian “steak” made from celery root!
After the ribbon cutting, I toured the restaurant. It has a very bright atmosphere. But after seeing the Larry David’s “The Ugly Section” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, I opined that perhaps the outdoor seating area was the “The Beautiful People Section.” However, most of the view is traffic whizzing by on S. Eagle Road. The rest of the view is blocked by the new Village at Newtown brick wall sign.
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
February 12, 2020 3:47 PM
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The restaurant will be a 9,245 square-foot indoor and outdoor dining spot located in the new building on Durham Road. Schwartz said the restaurant space itself is constructed, but furnishings and additional details need to be added ahead of the eatery's debut.
Solstice, the first project from Captivate Hospitality Group, will offer "thoughtfully prepared, seasonally curated dishes" in a "dynamic social environment," representatives said.
Solstice will boast a "city-like dining experience" with "modern, whimsical plating," according to Schwartz. The indoor dining room and bar will have 165 seats. A 2,500 -square-foot outdoor patio space will seat 92.
The menu at Solstice will rotate four times a year by season. Once every quarter, Solstice will unveil a special "Peak of Season" menu that will be available for just four to six weeks.
When this application came before the Newtown Board of Supervisors at the June 12, 2019, public meeting, Attorney Joseph Blackburn representing the applicant described the Solstice as being "affiliated with Shula’s Steak House" (it turns out the principals are executives with Shula’s Restaurants, which is the only connection with steak!)
I spoke to Mr. Blackburn he said that Shula-style steaks WILL be on the menu along with the seasonal entries. However, the Patch article does NOT mention steak as one of the entrees. “Entrees,” says the article, “will include items such as hand-rolled ricotta lobster cavatelli, braised wagyu pappardelle, Cape May seared scallops, roasted chicken, Lancaster butternut squash risotto, and more.” I guess steak is included in the “more” category.
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johnmacknewtown
December 3, 2019 7:23 AM
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Solstice, a new restaurant coming to the Village at Newtown Shopping Center, has released an opening timeline and menu in advance of its local debut.
The restaurant will be opening to the public in early 2020, according to representatives. It will be a 9,245 square-foot indoor and outdoor dining spot located in the new building under construction on Durham Road.
According to representatives, it will offer "thoughtfully prepared, seasonally curated dishes" in a "dynamic social environment."
Solstice will offer a "city-like dining experience" with "modern, whimsical plating," according to Solstice representative Lisa Schwartz. The indoor dining room and bar will have 165 seats. A 2,500 -square-foot outdoor patio space will seat 92.
On sunny days, the indoor and outdoor dining rooms will merge "to create a dynamic, multi-sensory environment," according to Schwartz.
The patio will feature elements like a fire pit and an outdoor garden with seasonal herbs and vegetables to be used in the dishes.
Related (shows location):
When this application came before the Newtown Board of Supervisors at the June 12, 2019, public meeting, Attorney Joseph Blackburn representing the applicant made no mention of a "fire pit and an outdoor garden" in the patio area, nor were these elements mentioned in the documentation submitted to the Board! Also, it was described as "affiliated with Shula’s Steak House" (it turns out the the principals are executives with Shula’s Restaurants, which is the only connection with steak!), and not billed as a "seasonal" restaurant (read "Solstice, a seasonal restaurant, is coming to Bucks County"), which would compete with Harvest Seasonal Grille located elsewhere in the shopping center.
UPDATE: (12/6/2019) I spoke to Joe Blackburn who represents Brixmor and he confirmed that Shula-style steaks WILL be on the menu along with the seasonal entries. Something for everyone, I guess.
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Rescooped by
johnmacknewtown
from Newtown Government Business
July 17, 2019 10:12 AM
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The following is a brief summary of the June 12, 2019, 2019, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS Definition) meeting based upon the official minutes of that meeting.
Environment
Pollution Reduction Plan – Public Comment Period and Responses: Mr. Lewis reported the Township has received public comment and provided engineer responses on the Pollution Reduction Plan as required by the PA DEP.
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Development
Conditional Use – Solstice: Attorney Joseph Blackburn explained Solstice was a full service, sit down dining establishment which is affiliated with Shula’s Steak House. This location brings the restaurant allocation in the shopping center to approximately 26.78% which is still within the 45% limit and the sewer capacity is adequate.
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Arcadia Appeal: Resident Dennis Schoener provided an update on the Arcadia appeal [for background on this case, read "Newtown Township Supervisors Say 'No Means No' When It Comes to Arcadia Green III Planned Residential Development"] and expressed his concerns on the direction it is going.
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Public Safety
May 2019 Police Report: Chief Hearn reported there were 1,633 calls for service during May including 16 arrests, 11 which were DUI related.
Supervisor Reports
Mr. Mack: Mr. Mack reported on the Joint Zoning Council (JZC) meeting which provided updates on ordinances, including gas, oil and transient residential use which addresses Air B&B’s. Also reviewed was a proposal by the Bucks County Planning Commission on a Comprehensive Plan Update.
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Mr. Fisher: Mr. Fisher reported the Newtown Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) discussed a green infrastructure topics document and the Finance Committee worked on the RFP which is in final draft.
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johnmacknewtown
June 12, 2019 12:08 PM
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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.
The image shows the location of ALL the planned restaurants in Lot #1 of the Shopping Center. Bomba has not yet come before the Twp for approval.
