Credit: Chris English/NewtownPANow.com
Fans of Capital Grille restaurants anxious to see one come to the Newtown area got a boost at Tuesday night’s Newtown Township Planning Commission meeting
The planners unanimously voted to recommend that the township board of supervisors grant conditional use approval for the establishment at an upcoming meeting. If the approval process and other matters go smoothly, the new 8,500 square-foot Capital Grille would replace a Pier 1 that closed three years ago at the Village at Newtown Shopping Center, 2807 South Eagle Road in the township.
After the vote to recommend approval, Art McIntosh of Darden Restaurants said he didn’t want to speculate on when the new Capital Grille might open. Darden is the parent company of Capital Grille and several other restaurant chains. Most of the discussion Tuesday night regarded concerns about parking.
While Joe Blackburn, the local attorney representing Darden on the project, said research done by representatives of the company showed there would be plenty of parking, several planning commission members expressed concerns despite their eventual votes to recommend approval. Their worries were based on their experiences in regularly visiting the center and complaints from residents.
“I love your restaurant and think it would be a great addition to Newtown, but we are constantly bombarded with complaints about parking there,” planning commission Chair Peggy Driscoll said.
“Parking and mobility in that area is a nightmare,” noted member Shelley Howland, adding however that she had heard great things about Capital Grille and knew many people looking forward to a Newtown Township location.
Member Terry Christensen voiced similar parking concerns.
“But that said, I really hate looking at empty buildings,” he stated. “The prospect of having a tenant in that building is more important to me than parking problems.”
Blackburn responded there is “more than adequate parking in this quadrant of the shopping center.”
Credit: Chris English/NewtownPANow.com
The new Capital Grille would have total seating capacity of 263 but Blackburn characterized that figure as misleading because it includes three private dining rooms that would not be in regular everyday use but used mostly during holidays and other special occasions. Regular seating capacity would be 160, he said.
It would be a dinner-only restaurant, with Blackburn saying “we don’t presently contemplate a lunch option.”
According to its website, thecapitalgrille.com., Capital Grille restaurants have “nationally renowned dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood and acclaimed world-class wines,” among other attractions.
