Home Care In Newtown, PA

While several longtime stores and restaurants have moved out of the shopping center, several new ones will be moving in.

|Updated Tue, Oct 24, 2023 at 3:39 pm ET

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Change continues to be the name of the game at the Village at Newtown Shopping Center with businesses moving in and out of the retail complex on Eagle Road.

The Eagle Road shopping center recently lost two long time tenants - KO Modern Asian Cuisine, which closed its doors on Sept. 3, and the Newtown Bookshop, which relocated to the Village at Newtown South near the Newtown Farmers Market earlier this week.

Barre3 also moved out this past spring relocating to a much larger space at the Summit Square Shopping Center in Middletown Township.

But spaces don’t stay vacant for very long. While tenants leave, new ones are constantly arriving.

The shopping center recently signed two new tenants - Santander Bank, which is leasing a 2,643 square foot space next to AFC Urgent Care, and Oil Divine Natural Skin Care and Wellness, which will open a 1,735 square foot store next to Harvest Seasonal Grill.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

According to its website, Oil Divine is where "clean beauty meets luxury."

The female-founded and owned company describes itself as "dedicated to unlocking the true potential of your beauty regimen. Say goodbye to toxins and embrace a radiant, natural beauty lifestyle."

The company is fairly young, founded just two years ago in Oct. 2021. "Since then, our blends have garnered glowing praise from delighted friends and family lucky enough to experience their transformative magic," says its website.

A sampling of its product lines include revitalizing body oil, lip retreat oil, hair growth oil, fragrance-free face oil, moisturizing cleansing oil, rejuvenating eye serum, natural sleep aids, and variety of soaps, candles, and books about face yoga, floral recipes and natural apothecary, and more.

"At Oil Divine, we believe that beauty should be more than skin-deep. Guided by our unwavering commitment to 'do good, feel good, look great,' we strive to empower you with products that elevate both your confidence and your conscience. Each purchase supports our mission to leave the world a better place for generations to come."

Opening in November at a newly-renovated 3,800 square foot space between Chipotle Mexican Grill and FP Movement will be Lululemon, the popular athletic apparel company.

The company had previously operated a pop-up location at the site. In August, it closed its pop up location for renovations and opened a temporary location inside the former Pier One Imports storefront. The company closed the temporary location at the beginning of October.

The Canadian-based higher-end retailer specializes in innovative men’s and women’s activewear apparel and accessories for yoga, running, training and everything in-between.

The Village at Newtown continues to raise its profile as a shopping destination with the addition of the Lululemon store, the opening of the Paper Source and FP Movement.

Capital Grille has also signed a lease for the former Pier One Imports store, which will undergo extensive renovations in preparation for its opening in the fall is 2024.

This will be Capital Grille's first restaurant in Bucks County and its fourth in Pennsylvania. The Capital Grill's other locations in Pennsylvania are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and King of Prussia.

It will also be Capital Grill's first foray outside of a high-density, urban area.

"It's a ringing endorsement for a municipality to be chosen by Capital Grille for a restaurant," said attorney Mark Kozar, noting that Newtown Township would be joining an exclusive club of municipalities when Capital Grille opens here.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

The project is designed to provide a safe, recreational connection across Newtown Creek and fill a missing link in the local trail system.

|Updated Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 11:06 am ET

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Newtown Township has officially submitted a grant application to the state that if successful would pay for the construction of a new pedestrian bridge over the Newtown Creek linking the borough and the township.

Earlier this month, the township, working in partnership with Newtown Borough and the Newtown Creek Coalition, submitted the application to the Commonwealth Financing Authority's Local Share Account Grant Program for just under $1 million to fund the entire project.

The new span would be built next to a former bridge that once carried trolleys over the creek in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It would connect Newtown Borough at Frost Lane and Edgeboro Drive with North Sycamore Street in the township behind Penn Community Bank.

In addition to the new bridge, the grant would fund pedestrian links from the new bridge to existing sidewalks on either side of the span.

A rare view of the former trolley bridge crossing the Newtown Creek. (Contributed)

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Newtown Creek Coalition President Mike Sellers said he's optimistic that the grant application will be successful given the unique partnership put together between the borough, the township, and the coalition.

"Usually it's just one municipality going after a grant. This is two municipalities plus a nonprofit," said Sellers. "We believe we have put together a grant application that will stand out from the others.

"On the merits of the application itself, I also believe we make a solid case because we have submitted a soup-to-nuts project, which will be totally constructed and useful if we get what we are asking for," said Sellers.

The project also has the backing and support of State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, State Rep. Perry Warren, the Bucks County Commissioners, the Bucks County Planning Commission, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Heritage Conservancy, the Newtown Historical Association, the borough and township planning commissions, and the Central Bucks Bicycle Club.

"In terms of timeline, we would expect to hear mid-2024," said Sellers. "If the grant is approved, then we go forward with more planning and permitting and then there would be construction and completion in 2025."

The project is designed to provide a safe, recreational connection across Newtown Creek, fill in a missing link in the local and Bucks County trail system, and provide a safer alternative for walkers and bikers to cross the creek.

The idea of a pedestrian bridge was first broached at a meeting of the Newtown Borough Creek Coalition in 2010. "We started talking about ways to get safely across the creek and began looking at the possibility of repurposing the old trolley line bridge as a pedestrian crossing," said Sellers.

“There is no safe pedestrian crossing anywhere along the creek as it exists,” said Sellers.

Remnants of the old trolley bridge. (Contributed)

Up until 2016, residents had the option of crossing the creek using a pedestrian bridge located off of North State Street. That bridge, however, located on private property was shut down after it fell into disrepair and became a liability for the property owner.

Pedestrians also have the option of crossing at the two existing bridges - one owned by the county on Jefferson and the other owned by the state at Centre Avenue.

But Sellers called the spans problematic for safe pedestrian crossing, noting that both only have a walkway on one side, which makes two-way pedestrian traffic a challenge with baby strollers and larger groups of pedestrians.

And Sellers said retrofitting either bridge with a second sidewalk to create a safer condition would be a “tremendous struggle.

“The good news is pedestrians can cross in some fashion. The bad news is it is particularly difficult for bikers, walkers and strollers to get across the creek,” said Sellers.

The trolley line was discontinued in 1923. It had once traversed Penn Street and State Street before crossing the creek at Frost Lane and continuing its journey to Doylestown.

“The footbridge would create a safe recreational pedestrian connection between the township and the borough,” said Sellers.

A map showing the location of the proposed pedestrian bridge.

Just before COVID hit, the coalition had approached the township and the borough with the idea of creating the new pedestrian crossing and working in partnership to bring the project to fruition. They also proposed a grant application that would require a municipal match.

In late 2019, just months before the pandemic, the township supervisors and the borough council approved resolutions supporting the concept and working with each other and the Newtown Creek Coalition to explore the feasibility of the project.

When COVID hit in early 2020, the project fell by the wayside as local officials dealt with more pressing matters. The coalition, however, continued to investigate the project behind the scenes.

The one positive that came out of the pandemic, said Sellers, is that changes to the grant specifications allowed the coalition to pursue 100 percent grant funding for the project without a municipal match.

In late 2022, Sellers and the creek coalition resurrected the idea with another round of appearances before the board of supervisors and the borough council. This time the coalition proposed securing a grant that would pay for the entire project with no municipal match.

Earlier this year, both municipalities authorized their engineers to begin working together on the project and to pursue the grant opportunity. And in the past few months, Newtown Borough Council and the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors approved resolutions supporting the grant application.

In addition to the Frost Lane Road bridge, developer Allan Smith has proposed building a second pedestrian bridge on the southern end of the borough that would provide a pedestrian link from his Steeple View project to Carl Sedia Park in Newtown Township.

"To have book-end bridges like that would really help pedestrians from getting from one side of the creek to the other," said Sellers. "We'd have one at the north and one at the south. It would create a nice circulation at each end of State Street and each end of Sycamore."

Council Rock graduate and Newtown native has plans to convert the smoothie shop into a plant-based vegan cafe.

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Newtown resident Dhruv Patel, who officially took over the ownership of Greenstraw last week, has ambitious plans for the North Sycamore Street business.

The longtime customer-turned-owner plans to expand the smoothie store into a plant-based vegan cafe with the goal of bringing more healthy vegetarian options not only to Newtown but to the entire East Coast.

“Bringing something like this to my hometown is very fulfilling. And for everything the community has given me for the last 20 years, to give something back like this is a treat,” he said.

Patel purchased Greenstraw from Kelly Anne Troy who founded the business as Greenstraw Smoothies 11 years ago. After making settlement, Troy stayed on for two weeks to acquaint Patel with the business operations. Her final day was December 13.

“When I heard they were selling I jumped at the opportunity because to have something like this in my hometown that aligns with the lifestyle I’m trying to live is a dream come true," said Patel.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Patel moved to Newtown when he was in the third grade. He attended Council Rock schools and is a graduate of North. He worked for Pfizer for five years before taking two years off to help build a landmark Hindu temple - BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham - in Robbinsville, N.J.

Patel said it was during his senior year at Council Rock when he started thinking about owning his own business. Back then his dream was to open a coffee shop and wait on customers all day.

“For this to happen before I turned 30, I can’t tell you how happy I am,” said Patel.

Patel was drawn to Greenstraw by the quality and freshness of its products. Its menu includes 15 to 20 different smoothies, organic cold press juices, açaí and playa bowls, oatmeal, three different plant-based sandwiches, soups, and more.

“It’s as natural and as organic as it gets with zero added sugars. It’s all just fruits,” he said. “Kelly did a great job,” he said of the former owner.

Patel’s go-to menu item is a playa bowl with dragon fruit topped with strawberries, kiwi, and pineapple. “I like all the tropical fruits,” he said.

Patel’s short-term plans for the store include adding specialty coffees to the menu, "veganizing" the current menu, and introducing some hot items, including wraps, small sandwiches, and maybe even a burger.

By the New Year, Patel said he’s hoping to rebrand Greenstraw as Newtown’s first plant-based vegan cafe.

“It’s going to be unique in Newtown,” said Patel of his envisioned cafe. “I haven’t seen anything like this and I’m really excited to be one of the first to try.”

For regulars, Patel said the store will continue to sell its popular smoothies and playa bowls. “Those are go-to items. Even if we consolidate the menu, those will always stay.

“What the regulars like the regulars will get,” assures Patel. “They are the pride and joy of Greenstraw. Our business is here because of their constant support. And definitely, any changes that I have been trying to make I ask them directly what they think. Any big changes, I’m always keeping the customers in mind and consulting with them first.

“Ideally, my hope is when someone walks in they won’t just come in and order a beverage," he said. "I want this to become a nice sit-down place where people can grab a quick bite and have a nice meal that’s a healthy, vegan alternative to a fast food place.”

And at a reasonable cost, adds Patel.

“Our goal is that all of our smoothies and bowls are locally sourced and organic but even for the sandwiches, the bread that we use, and the proteins that we use we try and source locally and organically as possible,” said Patel.

His vision doesn’t end with Newtown. His longer-term goal will be to create a new brand that may one day expand to multiple locations but retain its mom-and-pop store feeling and identity.

“If I could provide a healthy opportunity to everyone possible, that would be something I would do in a second. And to start this in Newtown where I grew up is very fulfilling,” said Patel.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA - A major traffic signal upgrade is coming to a busy borough intersection in 2024.

At its December 12 meeting, borough council awarded bids for new signal heads and poles, new LED countdown pedestrian signals and pavement markings and construction of concrete sidewalk and curb ramps at the Washington and Lincoln avenues intersection.

The improvements are aimed at reducing congestion on Washington Avenue, making the intersection safer for pedestrian crossings and upgrading aging equipment and poles.

Among the new pedestrian accommodations will be a leading pedestrian interval (LPI), which will allow pedestrians to enter the crosswalk 3 to 7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. The LPI allows pedestrians to better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles have priority to turn right or left.

The borough received five bids for the project, including two low bidders.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The low base bid was submitted by Associated Paving Contractors in the amount of $421,314. Armour & Sons Electric submitted the low base bid with alternate add-on for more decorative poles in the amount of $500,473.

A portion of the cost will be paid for by a $271,000 grant awarded to the borough in 2021 through PennDOT's Greenlight Go program. The successful grant was written by former councilwoman Nicole Radowicz.

The light standards and equipment at the intersection are nearly 50 years old and need to be replaced, according to borough engineer Michelle Fountain.

Among the issues debated by council was whether to spend an extra $80,000 for fluted, more decorative mast arms, similar to the ones at Washington and State. The more decorative standards were requested by the adjacent neighbors who didn’t want the intersection to look like a standard highway intersection.

Council voted to approve Amour’s bid for the more decorative standards.

"There’s no difference in functionality. They both tell people when to stop and go. So it’s about clothing so to speak or about how things look,” said Councilman Kris Bauman.

“An extra $80,000 in addressing that is no simple matter when it comes to aesthetics," Bauman continued. "However, sometimes clothing does matter and in this case we have two other signals in town that have this look. It’s a much nicer look and it’s representative of who we are as a town, as a community. And I think we should do the same here not withstanding the fact that it’s going to cost us more money.”

Work on the project is scheduled in the April to June time frame, according to Fountain.

Mixed-use development will bring up to 88 new apartments and 12,000 square feet of new retail/restaurant space to Newtown.

Patch Staff

Posted Thu, Dec 14, 2023 at 2:48 am ET|

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — After years of discussions, reviews, approvals, and revisions, the second phase of the Steeple View redevelopment project is a go.

On Tuesday night, after three hours of discussion, the Newtown Borough Council voted 5 to 1 to approve revised final plans for the mixed-use Traditional Neighborhood Development that will change the face of the borough.

Voting in favor of the plan were Council President Tara Grunde-McLaughlin and Councilors Emily Heinz, Maryellen Raymond, Kris Bauman and Dennis O'Brien. Voting against approval was Councilor Bob Szwajkos.

The updated project will redevelop a nine-acre swath of land stretching from Centre Avenue behind the Starbucks south to the former Stockburger property with seven new buildings - four residential and three mixed-use - bringing between 75 and 88 new apartments to the borough and roughly 12,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space.

The project will also include several public amenities including a public piazza designed as a gathering place for town events; a pedestrian bridge at the southern end of the property linking the borough and the township at Carl Sedia Park; and a formalized greenway/walkway along the Newtown Creek from Centre Avenue south to the proposed pedestrian bridge.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Developer Allan Smith said after the meeting while he's looking forward to events on the piazza, "there is still a lot of work to do before we can start (construction).

"Now that we have approval we will start on the architectural drawings, which take time," continued Smith. "Arranging financing in the current interest rate environment is also time-consuming, but I’d like to think we will be able to walk across the pedestrian bridge in the next 30 months."

This shows the development site. The brown building in the lower center is the Wine and Spirits Store fronting on South State Street. The four new residential buildings are depicted in green in the upper left. Above that is the location of the proposed pedestrian bridge. The light green buildings at the right center are two new mixed use residential, retail and restaurant uses. The light brown colored area is the entrance to the development site and the piazza

The pedestrian bridge has been deferred to the later stages of the project.

In the meantime, Smith and his team of professionals will be seeking the approval of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors to move forward with the bridge project. They'll also be working to secure the proper permitting from the state.

Prior to the vote, Councilor Kris Bauman peppered the developer's attorney on a number of issues, including the design of the parking area and the proposed pedestrian bridge.

Regarding the pedestrian bridge, Bauman voiced concern that if the township says no to the project, the borough will be left with a greenway trail that stops at the end of the property.

"Since they were prepared to build the bridge, would they be prepared to work with us on an alternate open space improvement that would be available to its residents and everybody else in the event the bridge doesn't happen," he asked.

"The short answer is no," replied the developer's attorney Tim Duffy. "This is what we proposed. In our view the borough is getting this piazza for free that will cost millions of dollars to build. The restoration and construction of the greenway is something that would not exist if we were not going to put that in.

"From day one," said Duffy, "everyone has known you can't build a bridge that only has one side to it. It has to lead somewhere. We would love for it to go in. All indications are that the majority of the township still supports it," he said. "I don't know why they wouldn't."

Bauman also raised concern with the configuration of the main parking lot asking that the developer consider redesigning the parking area to be more efficient, safer and easier for motorists to circulate through and find a parking space.

"It's beyond me why we would design a parking lot that's inefficient and unsafe when it can be both efficient and safe," said Bauman.

Duffy responded, "We have qualified engineers who have reviewed this and all of them support this," he said. "They don't find the deficiencies that you have and none of our engineers identified these efficiencies."

Parking and traffic circulation were also on the mind of Szwajkos, who cast the lone vote against the project. He objected to the plan over the removal of a proposed parking garage that had been part of the original plan approved in 2016.

"Because of the elimination of the parking garage now parking has moved off site and we're going to get all the congestion and traffic rerouting as a result. You'll be creating problems on our streets. Don't tell me we got the benefit of the bargain. We didn't," he told the developer.

Under the Steeple View plan, seven new buildings will be constructed, including:

In addition, the project includes a new three-story mixed-use retail and residential use building be located to the south of the current Wine and Spirits Store on South State Street. Under the current plan, the new building next to the Wine and Spirits store would be held in abeyance and used for public parking while the balance of the project is developed.

The Steeple View project also incorporates a number of public amenities, including:

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

The owners of Amma's South India Cuisine are seeking conditional use approval to open a restaurant at Goodnoe Corner.

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A popular Philadelphia Indian restaurant is looking to open its fourth location in the Delaware Valley at Goodnoe Corner in Newtown.

Tonight, the owners of Amma’s South India Cuisine will be seeking conditional use approval from the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors to open a 72-seat restaurant at the former Zoës Kitchen on North Sycamore Street.

If the use is approved, Amma's will move forward with its plans to open its first restaurant in Bucks County and its fourth in the Delaware Valley.

At its January meeting, the township's planning commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the application by the supervisors.

"I am happy to see something going in that space," said planning chair Peggy Driscoll. "It's been empty for a long time."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The space, which has been vacant since Zoës closed its doors in February 2023, will be renovated into the township’s newest dining spot where the spicy foods of South India will be featured on the menu.

Amma’s South India Cuisine has built a large following and a reputation for its food at its locations in University City, Center City and in Voorhees, New Jersey.

The restaurant, owned and operated by Sathish Varadhan, specializes in home-style cooking from the southern regions of India and is named “Amma’s” after the Tamil word meaning “mother.”

"Our concept is to serve you tasty food like our mother used to feed us," says the restaurant's website.

The chefs at Amma's use recipes that have been passed down through the generations and have been changed and adapted to suit the current generation.

"India has a rich cultural diversity reflected in its culinary profile with flavors and ingredients that vary dramatically as one moves through the regions. Here at Amma's we bring a part of India to you through its rich and selective variety of food," says its website.

After immigrating to the United States in 2010, Varadhan opened his first restaurant in Voorhees, New Jersey. He has since opened locations in Center City and University City across the river in Philadelphia.

Amma’s menu features innovative dishes based on centuries-old South India culinary traditions. The chefs use fresh produce, all-natural ingredients, and freshly ground spices, to create food that is like veetu sapadu (homemade).

For more information about Amma’s and to view the menu, click here.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

La Grange, a casual countryside French brasserie, will be located inside a restored barn in nearby Lower Makefield.

|Updated Wed, Jan 17, 2024 at 4:01 pm ET

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The owners of a popular Newtown restaurant have announced plans to open a French bistro later this year at Lower Makefield’s Prickett Preserve.

La Grange, a casual countryside French brasserie, will open inside a restored barn at the heart of the mixed-use commercial and residential development now under construction on Stony Hill Road next to the new Wegman’s.

The bistro is the newest concept from the owners of La Stalla Restaurant, a family-style Italian restaurant located inside the historic Lovett Barn in Newtown Township.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Inside the barn, patrons will experience a cozy atmosphere enhanced by a large fireplace and the structure’s beautifully exposed historic stonework. A glass addition is planned adding a touch of modern to the rustic atmosphere.

“It’s going to have a very French countryside appeal,” said Masso.

The space will feature indoor and outdoor dining, several bars, a full wine and beer list, live music and a raw bar with oysters, clams on the half-shell, cold lobster and more.

“It’s going to be an exciting new feel in town and in Bucks County,” said Masso. “If you want to have a high-end experience, it can lend itself to that. If you want something more family-oriented and causal for a random weeknight, it has that as well. That’s kind of been our niche at La Stalla. That has kept us successful and kept people happy.”

The lunch and dinner menu will offer everything from escargot and mushroom tarts to steak frites, trout almandine, and roasted chicken to burgers and salads while weekend brunch will feature omelets, French toast, Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame, and more.

Of course, homemade French breads, cheeses, and wines will be a big part of the offerings, said Masso.

Lunch will be served Monday to Friday with dinner service seven days a week with brunch served on Saturday and Sunday.

While Bucks County has experienced fine French dining in the past with restaurants like Jean Pierre’s and Rouget, La Grange will be something Bucks County has not seen.

“It’s going to be an exciting new feel in Bucks County,” said Masso. “I don’t believe anything like this has been done before in the Bucks County area. We’re not trying to be fine-dining French. We’re going for that countryside French casual feel,” he said.

“We’re going to do our best to open by late summer or early fall,” said Masso.

The new restaurant is part of the Prickett Preserve development, which is anchored by a Wegman’s grocery store, 200 apartments and clubhouse, a bank, a drugstore, restaurant and other uses including CVS, Chase Bank, Duck Donuts, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, PJs Pancakes and Tropical Smoothie.

Proceeds will benefit the hospice program and memory care units at Newtown's Chandler Hall.

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Newtown Rotary Club is bringing the excitement of the Atlantic City casinos to Newtown.

On Saturday, Feb. 3 from 7 to 11 p.m., the public is invited to experience the high-rolling glitz and glamor of Casino Night, a fundraising evening that will benefit the Chandler Hall Hospice and memory care unit.

“The experience is going to be outstanding,” promises Debra Porter, president-elect of the Newtown Rotary Club. “Drinks will readily be available. The food will be amazing. And you don’t have to get in your car and drive hours to experience the fun.

"The only thing, of course, we won't be playing for cash," adds Porter. "Everyone will receive chips and that's what you'll be playing with. It's a casino night experience."

From spinning the roulette wheel to playing craps, poker and blackjack, the event will bring 10 gaming tables manned by trained dealers from Tumbling Dice Entertainment to Wrights Hall on the Chandler Hall campus off of South Sycamore Street.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

(Shutterstock)

For those who aren't familiar with the games, Porter said the dealers will offer lessons in each game so no one will be left out.

"It's going to be an exciting night," said Chandler Hall's Chief Executive Officer John Whitman adding that everyone at Chandler is looking forward to the event. "The Rotary has been absolutely great in helping to put this together."

Adding to the experience will be a menu of mouthwatering butlered hors d'oeuvres and desserts whipped up by Chandler Hall's own chef extraordinaire Trudy Bandmann.

“She is truly, shockingly talented," said Porter. "The food is going to be amazing from shrimp with a pasta sauce and scallops wrapped with bacon to a really nice steak with a sauce on top,” said Porter. "There's going to be a nice assortment of food."

Shrimp Arribata is one of the hors d'oeuvres that will be served.

More hors d'oeuvres on the menu at Casino Night.

In addition to the games of chance and the outstanding food, Porter said a number of items will be offered for sale at the event. Golf Outing Productions will be selling sports memorabilia and trips and the Rural Painter will be showcasing and selling works of art.

The cost is $100 per person or $175 per couple. Admission includes a fun-filled evening of casino games, live entertainment, playing chips, door prize tickets, butlered hors d'oeuvres, drinks and cocktails.

For those looking for a really cool and unusual Valentine's Day gift, Porter recommends a ticket to Casino Night, especially for those who are hard to buy for or who may not want chocolate or flowers, she said.

The idea was proposed by current Rotary Club President Mick Petrucci who wanted to help Chandler Hall, a nonprofit senior community in Newtown whose fundraising efforts were whipped out by the pandemic.

"When Mick learned about the hospice and memory care needs at Chandler he felt driven to do something about it in a personal way. He didn't just want to look the other way," said Porter.

Whitman said when the Rotary approached him about doing a Casino Night, he welcomed it with open arms. "I said, 'Absolutely.' They have been absolutely great putting this whole thing together," said Whitman.

Whitman said Chandler Hall will be using the proceeds from Casino Night to expend its home-based hospice program to more people and to enhance the services and programs it provides to its memory care patients, two of the many levels of care provided by the senior living community on South Sycamore Street.

"In the challenging climate that is healthcare, having groups like the Newtown Rotary Club that can help us do additional things that otherwise we couldn't do, that's pretty special. I really have a lot of respect for them," said Whitman, who encourages everyone to come out to Casino Night on Feb. 3.

"It's going to be a fun night," said Whitman. "We'd like to get a lot of people there because number one it will be a fun night and number two it's for a really good cause. The funds that we get from this will help us serve more people. It will allow us to buy additional materials and services - things that we can use to help our residents."

Tickets to Casino Night can be purchased online by CLICKING HERE

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

The new 8,000-square-foot, 236-seat restaurant will be the first Capital Grille in Bucks County and the fourth in Pennsylvania.

NEWTOWN, PA — Major renovations are officially underway to transform the former Pier One Imports store into the nation’s newest Capital Grille at the Village at Newtown shopping center.

Earlier this month, crews erected a construction fence around the outside of the building to protect the public while the space is renovated..

The exclusive upscale fine dining restaurant and steakhouse is scheduled to open in late summer in Newtown Township. It will be its first outside a highly urbanized metropolitan area.

A layout of the future restaurant submitted as part of the conditional use application shows a reception area opening up to a main dining room, three private dining rooms, and a horseshoe bar surrounded by individual tables. The layout also depicts six tables on an outside patio on the Eagle Road side of the building.

The new 8,000 square foot, 236-seat restaurant will be the first Capital Grille in Bucks County and the fourth in Pennsylvania. The Capital Grille’s other Pennsylvania locations are in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and King of Prussia.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

(Photo by Jeff Werner)

"It’s a ringing endorsement for a municipality to be chosen by Capitol Grille for a restaurant," said Capital Grille's liquor license attorney Mark Kozar last June during a conditional use hearing for the restaurant. He added that the township would be joining a very exclusive club of municipalities to host the restaurant.

"Capital Grille is Darden's flagship restaurant. Darden is very selective as to where it opens a Capital Grille," said Kozar. "There are only 63 nationwide. Compare that to 884 Olive Gardens nationwide," he said of Darden's other brand restaurant.

The Capital Grille, which opened its first restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island in 1990, is best known for its expertly prepared steaks, which are dry-aged in-house for 18 to 24 days and then hand-cut by the restaurant's on-premise butcher.

“The food is made from exceptional ingredients, artfully prepared. It is our sole desire that everything, and we mean everything, that arrives at your table at The Capital Grille delights you," says the restaurant's website. "To ensure that experience, we use only the finest, freshest ingredients, artfully prepared in recipes designed to engage all of your senses.”

The Capital Grille's wine list features more than 350 selections, and its floor-to-ceiling wine kiosk regularly houses between 3,500 and 5,000 bottles.

“From the moment you step into The Capital Grille, the experience is one of comfortable elegance,” says the website. “African Mahogany paneling and art deco chandeliers provide a warm, stately setting for our nationally renowned dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood, and acclaimed world-class wines. With service as gracious as it is attentive, we look forward to impressing you.”

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

The store, initially known for its stylish yoga-ready clothing, has expanded to one of the most popular athletic brands in the nation.

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Trendy athletic brands retailer lululemon has reopened its doors at the Village at Newtown shopping center on Eagle Road.

Located in a 3,873 square foot space next to fp movement and a few doors down from Ardana, the store had operated as a pop up location until early August when the pop up closed and renovation work began to transform the current location into a full service store.

To tide lululemon shoppers over, the retailer opened a temporary site inside the former Pier One imports store, which was operated from early August until early October when it closed to allow renovations to begin on the new Capital Grille.

Lululemon, initially known for its stylish yoga-ready clothing, has expanded to one of the most popular athletic brands including a wide variety of shoes and accessories for men and women. Its brand apparel is only sold at the company's stores and on its website.

The Canadian-based higher-end retailer specializes in innovative men’s and women’s activewear apparel and accessories for yoga, running, training and everything in-between.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Founded by Chip Wilson in Vancouver, Canada in 1998, lululemon started as a design studio by day and yoga studio by night. It soon became a standalone store in November 2000 in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood.

The store’s vision is “to create more than a place where people could get gear to sweat in. We wanted to create a community hub where people could learn and discuss the physical aspects of healthy living, mindfulness and living a life of possibility. It was also important for us to create real relationships with our guests and understand what they were passionate about, how they liked to sweat and help them celebrate their goals. Today, we do this in our stores around the globe.”

The Village at Newtown continues to raise its profile as a shopping destination with the addition of the Lululemon store, the opening of the Paper Source and fp movement and the announcement earlier this year that the upscale Capital Grille had signed a lease for the former Pier One Imports store, which is undergoing extensive renovations in preparation for its opening in 2024.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.