Village At Newtown loses another restaurant

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP - After two years of operation, interrupted by a lengthy closure during the pandemic, Solstice Restaurant has closed its doors in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center.

The 9,245 square-foot restaurant opened in March 2020 offering hyper-seasonal menus that changed with the seasons.

In a message posted on its Facebook page, the owners wrote, “Over the past two years, Solstice has built a community of friends, family and loyal diners. When we opened our doors, we set out to provide seasonally-forward food that was thoughtfully prepared, and dedicated to quality, craft and freshness.

“If you have followed along in our journey, you know that we celebrate the season as much as we celebrate its change. Today, with a heavy heart, we’re stepping into that change as we share the news of our closing.

“We feel full of gratitude that we were able to help celebrate milestones and create memories at our establishment. It has been nothing short of a privilege to have had the opportunity to serve you. Thank you, Newtown, it’s been our pleasure to be a part of this community!”

Here’s what patrons are saying about the sudden closure:

“Thank you for creating wonderful memories for my family! We will miss you!” wrote Judy Kuna Tanner on the Solstice Facebook page.

“I’m so sorry to see this! We just discovered Solstice recently and really enjoyed it!” wrote Julia Leek.

“Such a shame. We loved going there. The owners and employees worked so hard to make it a perfect night out for my family and friends,” wrote Marc Settimo.

“My family’s favorite in Newtown. We will greatly miss your restaurant. Nearest thing to a New York City establishment,” wrote Susan Graff.

Mary Wlodarczyk Sanginiti had this advice for the restaurant owners: “Open in a location outside of that shopping center. The traffic and parking are horrendous. We avoid all the restaurants there.”

Solstice is the second restaurant to close this year at the Village. Earlier this year Friends Bar and Grill/Dolce Carini closed after its lease expired.

“Despite my best attempts over the last three years to secure a new lease, the landlord refused to give us a new one,” wrote the owners of Friends on its FaceBook page. “This necessitated the closure of the business as there were no other options available.”