Guru's Building Poised For Major Upgrade, New Restaurant Use

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The former Guru’s building at Sycamore and Jefferson streets is poised for a major makeover and a brand new restaurant use.

The township’s Historic Architectural Review Board is expected to review revised plans this week to restore and refresh the building while retaining its historic significance.

“203 North Sycamore is a real undertaking. It is an important building in a historic community. It’s also in disrepair and it’s going to require significant investment,” said the building’s new owner Adam Baratta who plans on transforming the property into a new yet-to-be announced restaurant use.

Baratta said the hope and the goal is to bring the building back to its “most historic character.”

Baratta has brought in Doylestown architect Ralph Fey to design the new building, which will pretty much stay the same architecturally but with a new addition, a fresh, clean look and with some of the building’s original elements incorporated into the plans.

📸 Follow us on Instagram at Bucksco_Patch

“The general look of the building is pretty rundown. This is an opportunity to refresh and restore, replace siding that’s rotting, repair cornices, repoint brick and stone,” said Fey.

Fey, whose firm specializes in restoration, renovations and adaptive reuse, told the HARB that they would also be bringing the structure up to current standards with handicapped ramps and bathrooms and accessible stairs.

Plans submitted by Fey include the removal of unsightly mechanical equipment from the rear of the building, bringing back an original bay window to break up the warehouse look at the rear and side of the building, and a building addition on the parking lot side to accommodate accessible stairs, the enclosure of the outside deck, and the creation of a partially-covered second floor outside dining area.

This rendering shows the building addition with the enclosed deck and second floor outdoor dining area. (Ralph Fey Architects)

This shows the building addition on the parking lot side of the building with new entryway, enclosed deck and second floor outside dining area. (Ralph Fey Architects)

Another view of the restoration. (Ralph Fey Architects)

“An outdoor dining experience is what we all want. But you don’t want to be sitting where cars are going by or idling,” he said of the current outdoor dining deck on the north side of the building. “It’s a better dining experience if we can raise that up to the second floor,” said Fey.

The envisioned second floor deck would be shielded from the street by a series of planters “so people will be sitting outside and not looking at a street or a parking lot,” said Fey.

“It feels like these are the right moves to restore and enhance the dining experience and to meet all the additional needs of the building,” said Fey.

After the building was built in the 1820s or 1830s, it was home to a notorious tavern and then later used as the J.B. Wentworth General Merchandise store. It also served briefly as a school.

In more recent years the building was known as the Township House, a local restaurant and bar, and then the Saloon before becoming Guru’s Indian Cuisine.

“What some may call an unattractive building, we would like to say is an interesting collage of different eras and times,” said Fey.

For the most part, the members of HARB liked what they saw and said they are eager to see the worn building brought back to life.

“We support the project in general. It’s the details we need to have to make a full recommendation,” said chairman Bill Mahler.

That recommendation could come this week.

“I really appreciate the work that you’re doing and that you’re considering the history. I have a lot of questions, but overall I’m very glad that you’re doing this,” a HARB member told Baratta.

Baratta, a partner in a number of successful restaurants in California, told HARB that while he’s not ready to announce the restaurant concept being planned for the space, the goal is to bring a level of hospitality that is at its highest level.

“I’m not a restaurant operator, but I am someone who understands hospitality. The goal is to bring a beautiful experience that’s accessible, but at the same time at a high level," he said.