Newtown Planning Commission Reviews Chop't Application

At the May 18, 2021, Newtown Planning Commission (PC) Zoom meeting, Joseph M. Blackburn, Partner with Wisler Pearlstine, presented an overview of a "conditional" use application by the Chop't Creative Salad Company, LLC. The application is for a 2,500 sf Chop't restaurant to be located at 2910 S. Eagle Road in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center.

This use would bring the percent of square footage allocated for restaurant use in the shopping center to about 31%. The total allowable percentage for such use is - believe it or not - 45%! So, there is still significantly more restaurant use allowable.

The focus of the discussion was on the outdoor eating area. The plans show 50 indoor seats and "seasonal" seating for 36 outdoors (see figure below).

Chop't has expanded from its original location in New York City’s Union Square to include more than 60 locations in New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. If this application is approved, it will be the first Chop't to be located in Pennsylvania!

One member of the Planning Commission person "nay" to recommend approval of this application by the Newtown Board of Supervisors because of parking issues in the area. With 10-12 employees, parking spaces will be at a premium (The application indicates 10-12 employees for the first shift and 4-5 employees for the 2nd shift are expected on the two proposed shifts). Considering that there are or will be about 10 businesses in that section, they will eat up (pun!) about half of the 200 or so spaces in the area. Related Content: When Will Parking Improve in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center? Newtown Parking Sarcasm in Letter to the Editor of Bucks County Courier Times