On October 18, the last day of Newtown's first Restaurant Week, which restaurant will be the newest in town? If the current schedule holds, it will be LaScala's Fire at The Village at Newtown. It is set to open on October 17, one week after Árdana Food and Drink serves its last meal in the same space. Neither restaurant is on the Restaurant Week list.
That gap explains how this October fits together. The Newtown Business Association's week, October 12 through 18, is a showcase of 30 places that were already signed up and ready. The openings and handovers people are talking about are moving on their own schedules, and several land in the same nine days.
A List That Closed on September 21
Only current NBA members could sign up a restaurant for Restaurant Week. Membership costs $250 a year, and the sign-up deadline was September 21. Newtown Township's Board of Supervisors approved the LaScala's Fire plans on September 23, two days after the list closed. A restaurant that had just been approved, and was still about three weeks from opening, could not have made the list.
So the list is a snapshot of the dining scene the NBA already represents. The association describes the week as celebrating "Newtown's (and surrounding areas) dining scene." That wider net explains how the list reaches Pineville Tavern, Wycombe Tavern & Grille and Crossing Vineyards and Winery along with the restaurants on State Street. The week's Presenting Sponsor is Salucca, and its Elite Sponsor is Philly Joe Tattoos & Cosmetics.
Here are the 30 participants as the NBA lists them. They are grouped below by what their names suggest, not by any category the association assigns:
| Grouping | Participants |
|---|---|
| Italian names | Acqua E Farina, Meglio Wood Fired Pizzeria, Piccolo Trattoria, Tre Fratelli, Vecchia Osteria |
| Taverns and pubs | Temperance House, Pineville Tavern, Wycombe Tavern & Grille, MaGerks Pub & Grill, PJ Whelihan's |
| Wine, beer and spirits | Crossing Vineyards and Winery, Newtown Brewing Co., Triple Sun Spirits |
| Bagels and coffee | Newtown Bagel Co., Manhattan Bagel - Summit Square, Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck |
| Sweets and snacks | The Caketeria, Clusters Handcrafted Popcorn |
| Everyone else | Blue Point Grill, El Limon, Flourish, Green Parrot, Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, Isaac Newton's, La Grange French Steakhouse, Love & Honey Fried Chicken, Mamie Colette, Moish & Itzy's, Pat's Colonial Kitchen, Pure Green Newtown |
The first row matters for later. Newtown already has a group of Italian kitchens, and the newcomer opening during the week, LaScala's Fire, as WhatNow reported, describes its concept as "classic Italian American, reimagined."
How the Week Actually Works
There is no single citywide-style price. Each place writes its own offer, and the NBA's guide spells out the terms:
- Restaurants may offer specials, prix-fixe options, seasonal items, cocktails, treats or other featured items. Each sets its own.
- Some offers run only on certain days.
- Many are dine-in only.
- Reservations may be required or recommended, and offers depend on availability.
The menus are collected in a digital "Menu of Menus" flipbook linked from the NBA's Restaurant Week page. The guide calls itself a passport, but it describes no stamp or redemption system. In practice, you check the menu for the night you want, confirm the offer is good that day, and call ahead.
Because offers can be limited to certain days, the calendar matters. The week starts on Monday, October 12, and ends on Sunday, October 18. Its Saturday is also the busiest single day in town this month, covered below.
Seven Days at 2948 South Eagle Road
The handover at The Village at Newtown is the sharpest change on the town's dining map this fall. The Christou family announced on social media that Árdana would close its Newtown location after about three and a half years. They described the move as a bittersweet decision to "pass the torch." NewtownPANow reported in August that the owners had sold the location to LaScala Restaurant Group, with the handover planned for fall.
The schedule is short:
- Saturday, October 10: Árdana's last day in Newtown.
- Monday, October 12: Restaurant Week begins across 30 participants.
- Saturday, October 17: LaScala's Fire is scheduled to open in the former Árdana space.
Árdana's employees were reportedly offered jobs with LaScala's Fire. Some of the staff may stay through the switch even as the menu changes. The October 17 date is a schedule, not a confirmed opening. It is best treated that way until the doors are open.
LaScala's Fire comes to Newtown with a regional track record. It already operates in Marlton, Glassboro, Atlantic City, Northeast Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia, Newtown Square and West Chester, and at the Diamond Club at Citizens Bank Park. Another location is in preparation at MarketFair on Route 1 in West Windsor. The menu covers pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches and entrées, along with cocktails.
Two Borough Corners Still Waiting
The other two openings people have been watching are in the Borough, and neither has a firm date.
Donatelli's, 1 Washington Avenue. It is taking over the former Rocco's space at the Brick Hotel. In August, BucksCo Today reported an August target, major renovations and planned patio seating. A September 26 follow-up said the restaurant was hiring and that no official opening date had been announced. Donatelli's own website still lists the Newtown location as "Coming Soon."
The Local Eatery and Pub, South State Street and Centre Avenue. This will be the second location of a Mount Holly gastropub, in the former Relic site. Patch reported on July 30 that the owners had signed a lease and planned to open "this fall," with no specific day. No newer date has been published since.
Together with LaScala's Fire, that makes three significant restaurant arrivals this fall, and none of them is part of the town's first Restaurant Week. The week shows the scene as it stood on September 21. The scene a year from now will likely include at least one or two of these names.
October 17, Hour by Hour
Restaurant Week's Saturday is crowded well beyond the dining rooms.
- 8 a.m. The Haunted Hustle 5K starts and finishes at 30 North Chancellor Street.
- All day. The 26th annual Bucks County FilmFest moves to the Newtown Theatre at 120 North State Street, with local short films, table reads, a panel and awards.
- Opening day. LaScala's Fire is scheduled to open at 2948 South Eagle Road.
- Dinner. It is the last Saturday of Restaurant Week. Offers vary by restaurant and some are limited to certain days, so check the flipbook before booking.
The night before, Friday, October 16, the Newtown Arts Company stages "CaBOOret" at the Newtown Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Anyone planning a dinner-and-a-show pairing has two nights in a row with something on State Street.
The Rest of the Season, in Order
After Restaurant Week ends, the calendar shifts to Halloween and then the holidays:
- Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. The Newtown Borough Halloween Costume Parade starts at Stocking Works, 301 State Street, and ends at Brian Gregg Park on North Congress Street.
- Sunday, October 25, 3 p.m. "Broomsticks & Bowstrings" with the Newtown Chamber Orchestra at the Newtown Theatre.
- Friday, October 30, 7 p.m. "Young Frankenstein" at the Newtown Theatre.
- Saturday, October 31. The first Newtown Witches' Ride, with up to 50 costumed cyclists. Check-in is at 9 a.m. at Newtown Bicycle Shop, 30 North State Street, and the ride starts at 10.
- Saturday, November 21, noon to 4 p.m. The fourth annual Newtown Holiday Cocktail Trail. It starts at the Newtown Theatre, and ticket holders sample holiday cocktails at Borough shops.
- Friday, December 4. The tree lighting at the Newtown Fire Station, 14 Liberty Street.
- Sunday, December 6. The NBA Holiday Parade on Washington Avenue and Sycamore Street, themed "Story Book Holiday Magic." Santa's Village opens at 11 a.m. and the parade starts at 12:30 p.m.
One longer project will add a walking connection on the Borough's side of town. In September, Newtown Township accepted Road Con Inc.'s bid for a pedestrian bridge linking Frost Lane in the Borough to North Sycamore Street behind Penn Community Bank. Completion is expected in 2027. The design calls for a bridge of about 170 feet, with paved approaches, overlooks and path lighting, beside the piers of the old trolley bridge.
When a well-known address changes hands, its next chapter depends on timing and preparation as much as on the space itself. That applies to restaurants at The Village at Newtown and to homes on the Borough's side streets. If you are weighing a move of your own in Newtown, Douglas Pearson offers a confidential review of your timing and how to present your property. Request a private valuation & consultation.
